POSTERIOR SEGMENT NEOVASCULARIZATION IN UVEITIS - REPORT ON 6 CASES

Subretinal or preretinal neovascularisation may be occasionally observed during the evolution of certain forms of uveitis. Subretinal neovascularisation commonly begins at the level of the chorioretinal uveitic scars. Consequently, the alteration of the retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch's membrane-choriocapillaris complex is the apparent cause. Laser photocoagulation of the neovascular front, when indicated, is the treatment of choice. In contrast, preretinal neovascularisation is observed at the active stage of uveitis. Fluorescein angiography findings suggest that it is probably correlated with the importance of inflammation since in most of the cases there is no retinal ischemia. Therefore, in order to obtain a regression of the neovascular tufts the treatment should be directed against the inflammatory process. In this study the authors report five cases of subretinal neovascularisation which developed at the level of chorioretinal post-inflammatory scars and one case of papillary neovascularisation which occurred during the active stage of an unilateral intermediate uveitis and in which new vessels regressed completely following systemic steroid treatment.