Type 1 Idiopathic Macular Telangiectasia Associated with Type 3 Neovascularization

Purpose: To report the case of a patient with unilateral idiopathic macular telangiectasia (IMT) associated with type 3 neovascularization. Methods: Observational case report. Results: We describe a case of an 85-year-old woman who presented at our department with a gradual vision loss in her left eye (LE). Her best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/200 in the LE. Fundus examination showed 2 small hemorrhages located nasally to the LE fovea, as well as lipid exudates. Fluorescein angiography revealed early hyperfluorescence corresponding to the dilated capillaries. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) showed several microaneurysms within the inner retinal layers. Late indocyanine green angiography revealed a focal hyperfluorescence corresponding to a type 3 neovascularization. No signs of IMT or type 3 neovascularization were detected in the right eye. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with type 1 IMT and coincident type 3 neovascularization. The LE was treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (antiVEGF) injections. Twenty-four months later, SD-OCT revealed regression of the exudative signs, and LE BCVA improved to 20/100. Conclusion: We describe the case of an unusual association between older-onset IMT and type 3 neovascularization, and subsequent regression by anti-VEGF injections. We propose a new IMT subtype called type 1C for this association. Further research must be done in order to establish the pathophysiologic mechanism and likelihood of this association. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel