Cavernous hemangioma of the retina: report of four cases.

Four patients had cavernous hemangiomas of the retina. The lesions, which usually occur in asymptomatic individuals, are unusual hamartomas comprised of saccular aneurysms containing venous blood and located on the surface of the retina or at the optic nervehead. Two patients had photocoagulation to destroy the lesions. In one patient, the lesion was totally destroyed after treatment to it and to the surrounding retina; in the second patient, a portion of the lesion had enlarged greatly when examined 5 years after photocoagulation. The hemangiomas of the other 2 patients have been observed without therapeutic intervention--the course we prefer for the majority of cases.