Recovery of visual field loss due to central retinal artery occlusion.

BACKGROUND

The recovery of the visual field in eyes with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) has rarely been reported, because the patient has difficulty in central fixation during perimetry testing due to poor visual acuity. We describe the recovery of the central visual field in eyes with atypical CRAO.

CASES: Two patients who showed sudden visual loss underwent ophthalmic examinations, including fluorescein fundus angiography and Humphrey central 30-2 perimetry.

OBSERVATIONS: Both patients had good visual acuity at presentation, with normal retinal color in the area of the papillomacular bundle surrounded by a mild retinal whitening in one case and by scattered cotton-wool patches in the other. They were considered on the basis of angiographic findings to have central retinal artery occlusion. The mean deviation of the Humphrey central 30-2 perimetry gradually improved during the initial 70 days after the onset of symptoms in both patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the mechanism remains to be clarified, a certain degree of visual field recovery may be seen in some cases of retinal artery occlusion. More patients with CRAO should be studied with follow-up perimetry.