A Case of Conjunctival Hemorrhagic Lymphangiectasia

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report a case of hemorrhagic lymphangiectasia treated with surgical excision and confirmed by pathologic examination. CASE SUMMARY: A 21-year-old man presented with spontaneous hyperemia of his right eye of 1 week duration. The patient had a history of tuberculous retinal vasculitis and uveitis 1 year prior, but there was no active lesion during regular follow-up. There was no history of trauma, visual disturbance, diplopia, ocular pain, or any sign of systemic disease. Slit lamp examination showed tortuous dilatation of blood-filled lymphatic vessels on temporal conjunctiva of the right eye. The lesion did not change during the 4 weeks of follow-up and local excision biopsy was made for final diagnosis and treatment. Pathologic examinations revealed thin-walled lymphatic vessels with localized dilatation which contained blood in the lumen consistent with hemorrhagic lymphangiectasia. There was no sign of recurrence until 2 months after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: Hemorrhagic lymphangiectasia should be considered in patients with recurrent or longstanding localized tortuous subconjunctival hemorrhage.