Idiopathic Macular Telangiectasia

Abstract

Objectives: To review the frequency and nature of idiopathic macular telangiectasia and to classify the disorders based on new clinical and imaging observations. Methods: A combined retrospective and prospective analysis of newly diagnosed patients seen over a period of 3 years. Patients were identified based on the GassBlodi classification and were studied with biomicroscopy, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography.Results: Ten patients associated with aneurysmal telangiectasia (Gass-Blodi group 1) and 26 patients with perifoveal telangiectasia (Gass-Blodi group 2) were recruited. None with occlusive telangiectasia (Gass-Blodi group 3) were identified. New observations based on clinical, fluorescein angiographic, and optical coherence tomographic findings were made. Conclusions:Our series was similar to that in the GassBlodi study in terms of frequency. New observations in groups 1 and 2 have expanded our knowledge of the clinical spectrum of these disorders. A simplified classification termed idiopathic macular telangiectasia with 2 distinct types (type I, or aneurysmal telangiectasia, and type II, or perifoveal telangiectasia) was proposed to produce a better understanding of the entities and to enhance teaching and research. The third type, occlusive telangiectasia, has been omitted from our classification based on its rarity and presence of capillary nonperfusion rather than macular telangiectasia as the primary abnormality.

Intravitreal bevacizumab therapy for idiopathic macular telangiectasia

“…Four eyes of four patients were classifi ed as having type 1 aneurysmal telangiectasia, and six eyes of four patients as having type 2, that is, perifoveal telangiectasia, according to Yannuzzi et al's classifi cation. 3 All eyes showed fl uorescein dye leakage at baseline. Diabetes was ruled out in all cases.…”

“…1 In 1993, Gass and Blodi 2 subdivided these patients into three categories: (1A) unilateral congenital parafoveal telangiectasis and (1B) unilateral idiopathic parafoveal telangiectasis; (2) bilateral acquired parafoveal telangiectasis; and (3) bilateral idiopathic perifoveal telangiectasis and capillary obliteration. In 2006, Yannuzzi et al 3 proposed a new, simplifi ed classifi cation: aneurysmal telangiectasia (type 1) and perifoveal telangiectasia (type 2).…”

Demographic features of idiopathic macular telangiectasia in Japanese patients

“…Although the clinical characteristics of our patients seem to resemble patients in Western countries, the frequency of each type was different. In this study and in previous works by Yannuzzi et al [1] and Gass et al [2,3], Coat's disease was excluded because of the differences in lesion extent and age. However, type 1 MacTel is thought to be within the same spectrum as Coat's disease, which has telangiectasis and microaneurysms with exudative retinal detachments and, in young patients, sometimes also hemorrhages at all the areas of the fundus.…”

“…Yannuzzi et al classified MacTel into three types: aneurysmal (type 1), perifoveal (type 2), and occlusive (type 3) telangiectasia [1]. MacTel was also called idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasia (IJRT) and was also classified into three groups by Gass [2,3].…”

“…The Gass classification was quite intricate, so Yannuzzi et al simplified it for clinical use. In Western countries, type 2 MacTel is thought to be the most common [1][2][3].…”