Hypertensive retinopathy caused by a rare ovarian tumor: case report and photo essay.

A 38-year-old female presented for an optometric exam complaining that her "vision had occasionally gone blank while reading during the past 2 months". Although visual acuity was 20/20 in both eyes, hypertensive retinopathy was present in both eyes. Blood pressure was measured to be 210/142. After inadequate response to initial treatment, her family physician referred her to an internist. Ultimately, a four pound Sertoli-Leydig ovarian tumor was found to be causing malignant hypertension. Removal of the tumor and medical treatment of the hypertension cleared the hypertensive retinopathy within 4 months. Prompt optometric care led to the timely discovery of this tumor, and probably prolonged this woman's life. This case illustrates the valuable role optometric care can have in the management of hypertension from any cause. Coordination with the primary physician as to the status of the hypertensive retinopathy is an integral part of the total management. Retinal photographs at presentation and at various stages of treatment dramatically show how the level of fundus pathology is related to the level of hypertension.