Treatment of idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis with bevacizumab (avastin)

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis presents areas of occult capillary telangiectasis involving the temporal half of the fovea. Its treatment by laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy or intravitreal injection of triamcinolone is unsatisfying concerning visual acuity. Recently it has been demonstrated that intravitreal bevacizumab injection could be successful in the treatment of choroidal neovascularisations secondary to ARMD. The principle of this treatment may be successful for the treatment of idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis as well. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report about 3 cases treated with three monthly intravitreal injections of bevacizumab. Fluorescein angiographies and OCT measurements of retinal thickness were performed. RESULTS: The mean increase of VA was 2 visual steps. In two cases an increase of 5 and 1 visual steps, respectively, could be determined, in the other case no increase was found. The mean retinal thickness decreased from 300 microns to 287 microns. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results bevacizumab seems to be less suitable for treatment of idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis because only a small decrease of retinal thickness can be observed.