Congenital abnormalities of the retinal vasculature in neurofibromatosis type I

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate congenital abnormalities of the retinal vasculature (CARVs) in patients with neurofibromatosis type I (NF-1). Forty-eight patients (96 eyes) with NF-1 diagnosed according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria and 48 healthy controls were included in this study. Standard fundus photographs were obtained for each subject to evaluate the presence and frequency of CARVs. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of different cut-off numbers of CARVs were compared with those of the NIH criteria. Forty-four (91.7%) patients in the NF-1 group demonstrated either supranumeraty optic disc vessels or triple branching of the retinal vasculature, and 22 patients (45.8%) demonstrated both findings. The frequencies of these two CARVs were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.00001). A cut-off value of either one for supranumerary optic disc vessels or triple branching showed the highest accuracy along with sensitivity and specificity of 91.7% and 87.5%. CARVs such as supranumerary optic disc vessels or triple branching were frequently observed in NF-1 patients, and their occurrence was unrelated to the age of patients. Thus, these CARVs could be added as new ophthalmologic manifestions for NF-1 and may potentially enable early diagnosis of NF-1.