OCT Tip 216 was originally published on May 21st, 2021.
This patient was sent in for a white retinal lesion. What is it?
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Analysis
This is a vertical cut through the optic nerve and peripapillary area. Here there is a retinal elevation that involves the inner retinal elements and in particular the nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layer. There is also a large central cyst. On the surface of the retina there is some vitreous haziness. This lesion corresponded with a translucent/whitish lesion (video). B-Scan also demonstrated a hyper reflective mass located in the superficial retina (video).
The patient was treated for astrocytic hamartoma.
In this tip's accompanying 16 min. video, we'll review:
- The differential diagnosis of this lesion
- The systemic diseases associated with astrocytic hamartoma
- The location and types of glial tissue in the retina
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OCT Tip
The differential diagnosis of an elevated mass in the superficial retina should include lesions derived from neurons and supportive cells, and include astrocytic hamartoma.
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