title: Optic disc edema in an astronaut after repeat long-duration space flight.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A number of ophthalmic findings including optic disc edema, globe flattening, and choroidal folds have been observed in several astronauts after long-duration space flights. The authors report the first astronaut with previously documented postflight ophthalmic abnormalities who developed new pathological changes after a repeat long-duration mission.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case study of an astronaut with 2 long-duration (6 months) exposures to microgravity. Before and after his first long-duration space flight, he underwent complete eye examination, including fundus photography. Before and after his second flight, 9 years later, he underwent fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, ocular ultrasonography, and brain magnetic resonance imaging, as well as in-flight fundus photography and ultrasound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After his first long-duration mission, the astronaut was documented to have eye findings limited to unilateral choroidal folds and a single cotton wool spot. During a subsequent 6-month mission, he developed more widespread choroidal folds and new onset of optic disc edema in the same eye.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microgravity-induced anatomical changes that occurred during the first mission may have set the stage for recurrent or additional changes when the astronaut was subjected to physiological stress of repeat space flight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Alaska Native Medical Center, Anchorage, Alaska 99507, USA. tmader@acsalaska.net
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Mader
authors.forename: C Robert
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Anastas F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Pass
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hanspeter E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Killer
authors.forename: Hans-Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dervay
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Barratt
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Tarver
authors.forename: Ashot E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sargsyan
authors.forename: Larry A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riascos
authors.forename: Deepak G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Bedi
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Pettit
mesh_terms: D018480:Astronauts; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010211:Papilledema / Q000209:etiology*; D013026:Space Flight; D014893:Weightlessness / Q000009:adverse effects*