Diversity of Retinal Vascular Anomalies in Patients with Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy

• Published in: Ophthalmology (Rochester, Minn.) Vol. 121; no. 11; pp. 2220 - 2227
• Main Authors: Kashani, Amir H., Brown, Kevin T., Chang, Emmanuel, Drenser, Kimberly A., Capone, Antonio, Trese, Michael T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; Ophthalmology; Optic Disk - blood supply; Retinal Artery - pathology; Retinal Diseases - classification; Retinal Diseases - diagnosis; Retinal Hemorrhage - diagnosis; Retinal Telangiectasis - diagnosis; Retinal Vein - pathology; Retrospective Studies; FEVR; familial exudative vitreoretinopathy
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.05.029
• ISSN: 0161-6420; 1549-4713

To describe the diversity of clinical findings associated with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) using wide-field angiography and to update the current classification system. Retrospective case series at a single tertiary referral vitreoretinal practice. A total of 174 eyes of 87 subjects were studied. A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients with a diagnosis of FEVR between January 2011 and January 2013 at a single tertiary care retina practice. Data were collected from patient charts, including sex, gestational age at birth, age at presentation, referring diagnosis, family history, prior ocular surgery, clinical presentation, and diagnostic imaging in each eye. Inclusion criteria included clinical diagnosis of FEVR in patients referred to our clinic for evaluation of decreased vision. Patients were excluded if a diagnosis of FEVR could not be made. Clinical and angiographic findings. A total of 87 subjects met the inclusion criteria for this study. A broad spectrum of previously undescribed clinical and angiographic findings were associated with FEVR on wide-field angiography. These findings can be grossly divided into anatomic and functional changes. Anatomic changes include aberrant circumferential peripheral vessels, venous and arterial tortuosity, late-phase disc leakage, central and peripheral telangiectasias, capillary anomalies, and capillary agenesis. Functional changes include venous-venous shunting, delayed arteriovenous transit, and delayed or absent choroidal perfusion on fluorescein angiography. Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy has a wide range of unrecognized or under-recognized clinical and angiographic findings that are easily identified using wide-field fluorescein angiography. These novel findings have led to an update of the original FEVR classification scheme and more complete characterization of early stages of FEVR.