A 34-year-old man with 22 years of type 1 diabetes mellitus and HbA1c of 10.8% presents with sudden painless loss of vision in the left eye. Fundoscopy reveals proliferative diabetic retinopathy with vitreous hemorrhage. The structure marked **A** on the diagram shows a fine lace-like tuft of new vessels on the optic disc. Which of the following clinical features of this lesion indicates HIGH-RISK proliferative diabetic retinopathy requiring urgent intervention?