Question

Parachute lesions (sea-fan neovascularization) are seen in?

• A. Eales disease
• B. Diabetes
• C. Sickle cell anemia
• D. All of the above

Hint:

Any retinopathy with peripheral ischaemia can sprout sea-fan new vessels.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Parachute or sea-fan lesions are tufts of peripheral retinal new vessels that grow like a fan or parachute. They appear whenever the peripheral retina becomes ischaemic and releases growth factors that drive neovascularization.

Step 2: Eales disease is an idiopathic peripheral retinal vasculitis of young adults that causes peripheral non-perfusion, neovascularization and recurrent vitreous haemorrhage. So it shows these lesions.

Step 3: Diabetic retinopathy is the prototype of proliferative ischaemic retinopathy, with widespread capillary closure and fan-shaped new vessels at the disc and elsewhere. So it qualifies too.

Step 4: Sickle cell retinopathy classically produces the sea-fan neovascular fronds in the peripheral retina from arteriolar occlusion. Since all three are proliferative ischaemic retinopathies that share this finding, the answer is all of the above.