Simultaneous bilateral central retinal artery occlusion in churg-strauss syndrome.

PURPOSE: Retinal vascular abnormalities are rare in patients with Churg-Strauss syndrome. We present the findings in a patient with Churg-Strauss syndrome who developed bilateral central retinal artery occlusion simultaneously. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 68-year-old Japanese man developed acute bilateral vision decrease to counting finger in the right eye and hand movements in the left eye. Ophthalmoscopic and angiographic examinations revealed a central retinal artery occlusion with choroidal circulatory disturbances in both the eyes. The patient had bronchial asthma, hypereosinophilia, radiographically determined migratory pulmonary opacities, and paranasal sinus abnormalities, thus fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology criteria for Churg-Strauss syndrome. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody was absent. High-dose steroid therapy was used, but after 6 weeks, his visual acuity in the right eye did not improve, and the vision in the left eye was no light perception. Later, vitreous hemorrhage was developed in the left eye followed by retinal detachment associated with proliferative retinopathy. CONCLUSION: Bilateral central retinal artery occlusion can occur in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-negative Churg-Strauss syndrome. The cause of the central retinal artery occlusion is not known, but consideration for prophylactic steroid therapy may be recommended in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-negative cases to prevent potential visual loss.

Vitrectomy for proliferative retinopathy in patient with advanced duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PURPOSE: Retinal vascular abnormalities are rare in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We present a patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who developed severe proliferative retinopathy for which vitrectomy was successfully performed in one eye. METHOD: Case presentation. A 23-year-old Japanese man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy complicated by cardiac and respiratory insufficiency had reduced vision in both eyes. His best-corrected visual acuity was 0.01 in the right eye and hand movements in the left eye. Ophthalmoscopy showed vitreous hemorrhage and proliferative tissue attached to the optic disk bilaterally. Ultrasound echography showed tractional retinal detachment in the left eye. RESULTS: Because general anesthesia was considered to be a high risk, vitrectomy, lensectomy, neovascular membrane removal, endolaser photocoagulation, and silicone oil injection were performed under local anesthesia on the right eye. After removal of the silicone oil and intraocular lens implantation, the best-corrected visual acuity was 0.8 in the right eye. Vitrectomy was performed on the left eye, but the retina could not be attached. CONCLUSION: The etiology of the proliferative retinopathy in our case is not known. Because early treatment has the potential to improve and maintain vision, we recommend periodic fundus examinations in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.