Central retinal artery occlusion associated with head or neck pain revealing spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection

Central retinal artery occlusion secondary to presumed traumatic carotid artery dissection in a healthy child

Purpose

To describe a rare case of a 13 years-old healthy child that presented CRAO secondary to carotid artery dissection, which occurred after a neck rotation movement.

Methods

Case report with prospective literature review.

Patients

One patient described in the case report.

Results

Not applicable.

Discussion/conclusion

Internal carotid artery dissection is a rare condition, specially in children, that can lead to serious cerebral-ocular ischemic events. It may occur due to direct vessel trauma or spontaneously. Prompt imaging screening is of paramount importance because early antithrombotic treatment or surgical intervention may significantly reduce the incidence of devastating ischemic events, such as stroke or central retinal artery occlusion.

Ocular manifestations of internal carotid artery dissection

Internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) results from disruption of the intima of the arterial wall, and can lead to intrusion of blood into the arterial wall and form an intramural hematoma. The hematoma can compress the true lumen of the vessel, causing functional stenosis or occlusion. The classic triad signs of ICAD include pain in the ipsilateral neck, head and orbital regions; a (partial) Horner syndrome; and cerebral or retinal ischemia. However, not all ICAD patients present with this classic signs. In some cases, ocular manifestations are the initial (and sometimes the only) findings. We summarize the ocular manifestations associated with ICAD in 3 categories: visual symptoms, oculosympathetic palsy, and ocular motor nerve palsy.

Black as night

A 30-year-old man presented with painless total visual loss in the right eye. Fundus exam and imaging was consistent with total internal carotid artery occlusion and hemispheric stroke. The presentation and management options of retinal vascular occlusive disease in association with asymptomatic stroke are discussed.

Management of acute central retinal artery occlusion

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is considered to be an acute stroke of the eye that results in profound visual loss. Spontaneous recovery rates are poor. Most CRAOs are caused by thromboembolism in the central retinal artery. Current standard therapies for CRAO that aim to restore perfusion to the retina and optic nerve head have not been shown to alter the natural course of the disease. Thrombolytic therapy for acute management of CRAO has shown promise in nonrandomized studies with regard to improving visual outcomes. A randomized controlled trial will be required to confirm the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy before it can be recommended for use in CRAO in daily clinical practice.

Severe acute ocular ischemia associated with spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection

A healthy 40-year-old man developed unilateral ocular ischemic syndrome as the only manifestation of a spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection.

Acute painless monocular visual loss due to central retinal artery occlusion in a patient with Churg–Strauss vasculitis

Ocular involvement in Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is infrequent. We describe a case of a 50-year-old woman, with blood eosinophilia, involvement of the respiratory tract, skin, and peripheral nervous system, fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology criteria for CSS, who presented with left foot drop followed by left acute painless visual loss. Central retinal artery occlusion was diagnosed by fundoscopic findings (retinal whitening with a cherry-red spot). CSS was confirmed by sural nerve biopsy. Despite treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, and anticoagulant therapy, visual acuity was not substantially improved. Acute blindness in CSS has been rarely described. Even more rarely, central retinal artery occlusion has been found to be the underlying cause of this infrequent clinical manifestation in CSS.

Embolic cilioretinal artery occlusion due to carotid artery dissection

PURPOSE

To report a case of embolic cilioretinal artery occlusion caused by carotid artery dissection.

DESIGN

Interventional case report.

METHODS

A 38-year-old woman presented with acute visual loss in her right eye. Funduscopy showed a cilioretinal artery occlusion, which was confirmed by a fluorescein angiography. An embolus was found in the distal segment of the vessel.

RESULTS

Color Doppler images of right internal carotid artery (ICA) disclosed a pseudolumen, suggesting a diagnosis of carotid dissection. Retrobulbar color Doppler image showed relative low flow velocity in the ophthalmic artery without flow reversal. Magnetic resonance angiography and cerebral angiogram showed total occlusion of the right ICA. Follow-up visual field examination revealed an inferior central defect fed by the cilioretinal artery.

CONCLUSION

The pathogenesis of retinal artery occlusion caused by carotid dissection may be embolic or hemodynamic. In our case, a permanent visual defect was related to embolic occlusion of the cilioretinal artery.

Acute monocular blindness associated with spontaneous common carotid artery dissection

The evaluation of patients with loss of vision is common in the emergency department. Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a potentially reversible cause of acute monocular blindness. When evaluating a patient with CRAO, the potential underlying causes should be considered while simultaneously initiating treatment. We present a case of spontaneous common carotid artery dissection manifesting as CRAO and propose that spontaneous carotid artery dissection be included in the differential diagnosis of CRAO.

Systemic disorders associated with retinal vascular occlusion

Occlusions of the retinal arterial and venous circulations are common causes of severe visual decline and can affect all age groups. Acute retinal arterial obstruction is often associated with critical cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease that may require systemic treatment. Retinal venous obstruction may be the presentation of significant systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a greater risk for cardiovascular morbidity. Additional metabolic and hematologic abnormalities have been identified in patients with retinal occlusive disease. The authors review recent advances in the study of systemic conditions associated with retinal vascular occlusions and offer guidelines for appropriate medical evaluation of patients with retinal occlusive disease.