Regression of Macular Cavernous Hemangioma with Systemic Infliximab.

Cavernous hemangioma of the retina is an unusual vascular hamartoma that has been reported to occur either sporadically or as a dominantly inherited trait. A case of a large and sporadic macular cavernous hemangioma that was successfully treated with systemic infliximab as a first line of treatment is presented. The patient was referred with decreased vision of the right eye for 6 months. Fundus examination disclosed a reddish elevated lesion in the posterior pole that obscured the macula and encroached on the fovea. It consisted of grapelike aneurysms. The patient underwent treatment with infliximab intravenously. Two weeks after the second infusion of infliximab, visual acuity improved to 20/80 with a marked involution of the tumor in the right eye. Although the data are limited, we think that a new perspective for treatment of retinal vascular tumors may appear in the future considering antibodies to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.