Vasoproliferative retinal tumors. Current approach to treatment

Relevance. Vasoproliferative retinal tumor is a rare acquired disease. The exact pathogenesis of vasoproliferative tumors remains completely unknown, and it has long been assumed that their development is a reactive process with the proliferation of glial cells and blood vessels. Despite the widespread use of this term, vasoproliferative tumor cannot be fully attributed to true tumors and it cannot be reliably established that it is vascular in its pathogenesis. The clinical signs of vasoproliferative retinal tumor manifests itself as a yellowish-red, often loose mass with vessels of normal or slightly enlarged caliber, usually small, single and located in the lower-outer or lower part of the fundus. Due to their rarity, there are currently no uniform recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of this pathology. Most of the available methods have limited effectiveness, causing a temporary regression of the process, which makes it necessary to repeatedly re-treat or combine several treatments. In some cases, the use of several therapeutic options leads to complications that can be caused by both therapy and the natural progression of the disease, which together prevents reconvalescence and improvement of visual func tions. Purpose. This article presents for the first time a detailed review of the literature, including generalized data on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, histological features, differential diagnosis and modern approaches to the treatment of this pathology. Material and methods. The article uses literary materials of domestic and foreign authors published in the period from 1982 to the present. Conclusion. It is necessary to further study the mechanisms of development of vasoproliferative tumors and related complications. The article uses literary materials of domestic and foreign authors published in the period from 1982 to the present. Keywords: vasoproliferative tumors, retinal vascular tumors, retinal angiomatosis, endoresection, vitrectomy, brachytherapy.