Acquired arterial macroaneurysms of the retina.

Fifteen patients with acquired arterial macroaneurysms of the retina, and an additional woman patient with some 18 aneurysms of the temporal retinal arterial tree of one eye, are described. Acquired aneurysms occur in patients in their sixth decade and older, are usually unilateral, and occur on the major arterial branches posterior to the equator. Customarily only one or two aneurysms are present. Most patients have a history of poorly controlled systemic hypertension or a raised blood pressure at the time of discovery of the macroaneurysm. Focal embolic damage to arterial walls should be considered in the investigation of these patients. In patients with decreased vision from macular oedema and circinate retinopathy, photocoagulation of the macroaneurysm may hasten the improvement in visual acuity.