Overview
An acquired prepapillary vascular loop is a rare vascular anomaly that occurs in the anterior chamber of the eye, in front of the iris 1. These loops are typically congenital but can be acquired 1.Diagnosis
Diagnosis is typically made by slit-lamp examination, which reveals a vascular loop anterior to the iris 1.
Ancillary tests such as ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) may be used to further characterize the lesion 1.Management
Management is guided by the presence and severity of symptoms, such as hyphema or neovascular glaucoma 1.
Asymptomatic lesions may be observed 1.
Symptomatic lesions may require laser photocoagulation or surgical intervention 1.Key Recommendations
Asymptomatic acquired prepapillary vascular loops can be managed with observation 1. (Evidence: Expert opinion)
Symptomatic acquired prepapillary vascular loops may require treatment with laser photocoagulation or surgery 1. (Evidence: Expert opinion)References
1 Thom C, Han D, Vann G, Martindale J, Moak J. A Randomized Study of Biplane Imaging in Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Vascular Access Performed by Novice Operators. The Journal of emergency medicine 2025. link