Branch retinal artery occlusion associated with directional coronary atherectomy after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case of branch retinal artery occlusion after atherectomy.


METHODS
A 51-year-old man complained of visual loss in the right eye after directional coronary atherectomy, performed secondary to a complicated percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. He underwent a full ophthalmologic examination, including fluorescein angiography and Doppler ultrasound.


RESULTS
Visual Acuity was 20/30 with an inferior scotoma present in the right eye. There were three Hollenhorst plaques present inside the superotemporal vascular arcade.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a small but definite risk of retinal microinfarctions after atherectomy.
Filatov
V
V
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, CT, USA.
Tom
D
D
Alexandrakis
G
G
Skolik
S A
SA
Klassen
H
H
Liggett
P E
PE
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects; D017225:Atherectomy, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000209:etiology*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity