Transient visual loss in a 60-year-old man.
A 60-year-old man after 5 years of recurrent episodic amaurosis fugax, always resolving, experienced an incident of visual loss that was permanent. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were normal. Transesophageal echocardiogram and carotid duplex scan ruled out embolic sources from the heart and neck vessels. Blood tests for hypercoagulability found elevated APTT not correcting with 50:50 dilution with control serum, owing to the presence of a lupus anticoagulant. The patient was treated with warfarin, baby aspirin, and a calcium channel blocker and has not had a recurrence of permanent visual loss in 17 years.
Winterkorn
Jacqueline M S
JM
Department of Ophthalmology, New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. JMSWinte@aol.com <JMSWinte@aol.com>
Mack
Prinze
P
Eggenberger
Eric
E
D020757:Amaurosis Fugax / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012008:Recurrence; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D014859:Warfarin; D001241:Aspirin