A 22-year-old man with known sickle cell disease undergoes routine screening. Peripheral retinal examination after scleral depression shows fan-shaped fronds of neovascularization at the border of perfused and non-perfused retina in the temporal periphery. What are these lesions called?
- A Salmon patch hemorrhages
- B Sunburst lesions
- C Sea fan neovascularization ✓
- D Comma-shaped conjunctival vessels
Explanation
Sea fan neovascularization describes the circumferential fan-shaped fibrovascular proliferation that grows at the junction of perfused and ischemic peripheral retina in proliferative sickle retinopathy, and it carries risk of autoinfarction, vitreous hemorrhage, and tractional retinal detachment. Salmon patches are intraretinal hemorrhages, sunburst lesions are pigmented RPE changes beneath resolved hemorrhages, and comma vessels are a conjunctival sign. All belong to the Goldberg staging system but occupy different stages than sea fans.
Reference: AAO Basic and Clinical Science Course, Section 12: Retina and Vitreous, 2023-2024 ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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