TelCaps in retinal vascular diseases: an overview.

Telangiectatic capillaries (TelCaps), also termed capillary macroaneurysms, are commonly observed in retinal vascular diseases and may cause chronic macular edema even if distally located. Their recognition is important since their targeted photocoagulation may be clinically beneficial. Diagnosis of TelCaps is facilitated by the use of indocyanine green angiography, particularly in its late frames, since they appear to be a correlation between ICG staining and the intensity of blood –retinal barrier breakdown. This is a crucial point, since TelCaps often escape fundus and OCT examination. As such, the identification of TelCaps may contribute to a reevaluation of chronic macular edema management. Here we will discuss this emerging concept, and its integration into management schemes of chronic macular edema, especially for diabetic macular edema. A randomized study is currently ongoing in France, aiming at investigating the potential of targeted photocoagulation to reduce the amount of intravitreal injections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]