title: Acute retinal arteriolar emboli after cardiac catheterization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are concerns that cardiac catheterization may cause retinal embolization, a risk marker for cerebrovascular emboli and stroke. We describe the incidence of acute retinal embolism after cardiac catheterization.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred unselected patients attending a tertiary referral center for diagnostic cardiac catheterization were recruited. Digital retinal photography (optic disc and macular fields) was performed precatheterization and within 3 hours postcatheterization. New retinal emboli were identified by a senior researcher and confirmed by a retinal specialist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was one case of retinal embolus precatheterization. Two patients (incidence 2.02%; 95% CI, 0.25 to 7.11) developed new retinal arteriolar emboli after catheterization. No patient developed clinically apparent visual or neurological changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk of acute retinal embolism immediately after cardiac catheterization is 2%. This finding indicates that the retinal, and possibly the cerebral circulation, may be compromised more frequently than is clinically apparent as a complication of cardiac catheterization.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Andreas J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kreis
authors.forename: Thanh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Jie Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C Alex
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: H M Omar
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Farouque
authors.forename: Tien Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors