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Article
May 1991

Retinal Manifestations of Neurofibromatosis: Diagnosis and Management

Author Affiliations

From the Retina Service (Drs Destro, D'Amico, Gragoudas, Pinnolis, and Puliafito) and Department of Ophthalmology (Drs Destro, D'Amico, Gragoudas, Brockhurst, Pinnolis, Albert, Topping, and Puliafito), Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Arch Ophthalmol. 1991;109(5):662-666. doi:10.1001/archopht.1991.01080050076033
Abstract

• Five patients presented with vision-threatening retinal tumors and systemic signs of neurofibromatosis, including neurofibromatosis type 1 (four patients) and familial cafe-au-lait spots (one patient). These tumors included large retinal astrocytic hamartomas, multiple retinal capillary hemangiomas, and combined hamartomas of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium, which resulted in rubeotic glaucoma, vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal detachment. Surgical therapy included retinal cryopexy, xenon and argon photocoagulation, scleral buckling, and pars plana vitrectomy with excisional retinal biopsy. Retinal tumors may result in marked visual loss in patients with neurofibromatosis, and vitreoretinal surgery may restore useful vision in some of these patients.

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