A 20-year-old woman presented with a marked proliferative retinopathy of the entire central region of the retina in both eyes, with veil-like epiretinal gliovascular membranes and isolated spots of haemorrhaging. The outer region of the retina was unremarkable. Her 49-year-old mother showed perimacular telangiectases in both eyes. The vascular system of both patients were medically sound, and, in particular, the blood pressure, blood sugar and blood picture were normal, with nc signs of heart, kidney, lung or liver disease. The first patienl had been a heavy smoker for 6 months, and the second did noi smoke. The 84-year-old mother of the second patient was blind following bilateral Horton’s temporal arteritis.