Acute, bilateral, concurrent central retinal artery occlusion in sickle cell disease after use of tadalafil (Cialis).
OBJECTIVE
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by vaso-occlusive crisis. In the eye, central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a rare complication in SCD, with only 1 previous report of bilateral, concurrent CRAO. We report a case of bilateral, concurrent CRAO in a patient with SCD, possibly precipitated by the use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors.


METHODS
A 37-year-old African American woman with a known medical history significant for SCD and pulmonary arterial hypertension who was receiving treatment with tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, developed bilateral, concurrent CRAO that persisted after exchange transfusion.


CONCLUSIONS
Bilateral CRAO secondary to SCD is extremely rare, with only 1 previous case report in the literature. The use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors is an additional risk factor and may have contributed to the development of concurrent CRAO in this patient.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville.
Ravi K
RK
Murthy
Lizette
L
Perez
Joshua C
JC
Priluck
Sandeep
S
Grover
Kakarla V
KV
Chalam
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002243:Carbolines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D065627:Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010211:Papilledema / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000068581:Tadalafil; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
D002243:Carbolines; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; D000068581:Tadalafil