Report of a patient with aortic dissection evolving into binocular ischemic retinopathy.

BACKGROUND

Carotid artery disease is known to cause a variety of ischemic ocular syndromes. We report a patient with an aortic dissection that evolved into binocular ischemic retinopathy.

METHODS

Case report.

RESULTS

A 49-year-old male patient presented with stomach pains and with no ophthalmologic symptoms. After extensive examination, a diagnosis of aortic dissection was made to account for the acute abdominal pain. Sixteen days later, he noted binocular photopsia and ophthalmoscopy revealed ischemic retinopathy. Arterial stent implantation and right coronary reconstitution surgery were performed. Subsequently, the ischemic lesions in the retina disappeared and no abnormality was observed by retinal angiography 1 year later.

CONCLUSION

Binocular ischemic retinopathy can be a sign of aortic or carotid dissection, and these observations suggest that aortic dissection should be included in the differential diagnosis whenever ischemic changes are detected in the retina.