Transient visual impairment following cardiac arrest.

This report presents an unusual case of visual impairment following cardiac arrest during general anesthesia. The presumptive etiology was macular capillary insufficiency secondary to vascular stagnation which occurred during cardiac standstill. Ophthalmic examination confirmed areas of macular edema corresponding to localized perifoveal regional infarcts. Isolated macular infarction is not a unique condition and has been reported in hemoglobulinopathies, diabetes, and other systemic diseases.