Simultaneous bilateral retinal detachment following coronary artery bypass graft: case report.

PURPOSE: To present an unusual case of simultaneous bilateral retinal detachment (RD) following a coronary artery bypass graft in a patient with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODS

A 78-year-old man was first seen for bilateral sudden visual loss after surgical treatment of AMI. The patient underwent ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and ocular B-scan echographic examination.

RESULTS

The ocular assessment showed a bilateral seclusion of the pupil with bombe of the iris, an anterior chamber without cells or flare, and hypotonia. The evaluation of the visual acuity revealed no light perception in the right eye (RE) and uncertain light perception in the left eye (LE). The UBM analysis of the anterior segment confirmed the presence of bilateral pupillary block due to the seclusion of the pupil and a peripheral serous choroidal detachment involving the RE. The echographic B-scan analysis of the posterior segment showed a bilateral closed funnel-shaped RD and confirmed the presence of the peripheral flat serous choroidal detachment in RE.

CONCLUSIONS

The cause for simultaneous bilateral RD remained unclear. It may have been a consequence of a persistent choroidal detachment with multiple swelling and 'kissing' of retinal surface. The increased venous pressure caused by congestive heart failure due to AMI could have caused a bilateral uveal effusion. Alternatively, the absence of retinal tears, the presence of a closed funnel-shaped morphology, and seclusion of the pupils allowed us to suspect an exudative pathogenetic mechanism due to a previous unrecognized ocular inflammatory state.