The COMS Grading Scheme: Graded Features

Telangiectasia

Telegiectasias characteristically involve secondary and tertiary branches of retinal vessels, no longer showing a regular branching pattern, but instead taking on aberrant shapes which included twists, tortuosities, loops, fusiform and spherical dilations, brush-like shapes resembling glomeruli, and anastamoses between vessels.  Telegiectasias are best seen on early frames of the angiogram; there is minimal or no dye leakage. 

Severity

None: not present

Mild: total compressed area less than 1/2 disc area (standard photograph 1) click on photo for higher resolution image click on your browser's "back" button to return to this page

Moderate: total compressed area more than 1/2 disc area, but less than 2 disc areas (standard photograph 2 with angiogram) click on photo for higher resolution image click on your browser's "back" button to return to this page

Severe: total compressed area more than 2 disc areas

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