Smoke-stack fluorescein leakage in a vitrectomised eye with proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a rare angiographic phenomenon
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: BACKGROUND/AIM: This case report aims to describe an unusual angiographic finding of smoke-stack leakage (SSL) in a vitrectomised eye of a patient with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 59-year-old male with a 17-year history of type 2 diabetes mellitus underwent fundus fluorescein angiography (FA) following vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage secondary to PDR. His visual acuity at the time of FA was 6/6 in both eyes. The examination focused on identifying neovascularization elsewhere (NVE) and analysing leakage patterns. FA revealed active NVEs in the left eye with late-phase leakage nasally and inferiorly to the optic disc, while the right eye exhibited a distinctive SSL pattern from residual proliferation. Interestingly, the leakage subsided in the late phase, leaving only staining of the residual fibrous tissue. CONCLUSION: The observed SSL in this vitrectomised eye underscores unique post-surgical dynamics of fluorescein diffusion. This case highlights the importance of recognizing altered leakage patterns in vitrectomised patients, which can impact the evaluation and management of retinal neovascularization in PDR.
Source: BMC Ophthalmology
Institution: Narayana Nethralaya
Language: English
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,990
OpenAlex ID: W4409150483