[Recurring retinal haemorrhages with tortuosity of the retinal arteriols (author's transl)].

Four young and healthy adults with tortuosity of the retinal arterioles of the posterior pole and recurring superficial retinal haemorrhages are described. Two of them had a suspected mild thrombocytopathy without clinical manifestations in other organs. Inheritance of the syndrome was not demonstrated and the pathogenic mechanism still remains obscure. All the described patients had been at risk of a retinopathy of praematurity. Knowing that familial retinal haemorrhages without retinal tortuosity do occur and retinal tortusity may persist as a minimal change of retinopathy of praematurity, it is suggested that this syndrome might be a combination of two entities.