The operation was a success, but the patient cannot see.
A 71-year-old African American woman presented with severe vision loss in her left eye one day following trabeculectomy with mitomycin C and retrobulbar anesthesia. She had a new left relative afferent pupillary defect and macular whitening. The optic disc appeared normal. Intraocular pressure and fluorescein angiography were normal. Westergren erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were elevated. Temporal artery biopsy was positive for giant cell arteritis.
Semmer
Anne E
AE
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Lee
Michael S
MS
Taban
Mehran
M
Smith
Scott
S
Kosmorsky
Gregory
G
D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008776:Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018917:Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic / Q000175:diagnosis; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014130:Trabeculectomy; D014792:Visual Acuity
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D016685:Mitomycin; D008776:Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D011241:Prednisone