Purpose: To evaluate the retinal periphery in patients with idiopathic juxtafoveal telangiectasis or macular telangiectasis Type 2 (MacTel2), using widefield fluorescein angiography.
Methods: Single-center, retrospective, observational case series of 50 eyes of 50 patients with MacTel2 and 50 eyes of 50 age-matched controls.
Results: Thirty-seven eyes in the MacTel2 group (74%) showed peripheral capillary nonperfusion or dropout, compared with 37 eyes in the control group (74%, P = 1.0). Morphologically, the MacTel2 group trended toward having a higher proportion of pruning-type capillary dropout (44%) compared with controls (28%), but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.12). Patients with MacTel2 had a higher incidence of microaneurysms compared with controls (MacTel2 56%; controls 42%; P = 0.048), independent of age or systemic risk factors. There was no difference in the incidence of venous-venous shunts (MacTel2 10%; controls 10%; P = 1.0), arteriovenous shunts (MacTel2 14%; controls 18%; P = 0.60), venous tortuosity (MacTel2 60%; controls 66%; P = 0.58), or arterial tortuosity (MacTel2 54%; controls 68%; P = 0.20), which was mild in most cases.
Conclusion: We note a high incidence of peripheral vascular and retinal findings in both patients with MacTel2 and age-matched controls, using widefield fluorescein angiography. Patients with MacTel2 had significantly more microaneurysms, independent of age or other systemic risk factors.