Retinal and choroidal arterial occlusion in Wegener's granulomatosis.

PURPOSE: To describe a patient with Wegener's granulomatosis presenting with bilateral retinal and choroidal arterial occlusion.

METHODS

A 64-year-old male with Wegener's granulomatosis was examined using ophthalmoscopy and indocyanine green angiography.

RESULTS

The patient had central retinal arterial occlusion in the right eye and branch retinal arterial occlusion in the left eye associated with bilateral choroidal infarcts. Early phase wide-angle ICG angiography of left eye revealed widespread choroidal perfusion problems, presumably from the confluence of multiple segmental arterial occlusions. Indocyanine green angiography of the right eye showed similar widespread choroidal arterial occlusions.

CONCLUSIONS

This patient developed loss of vision from multiple arterial occlusions of the retina and choroid. Retinal and choroidal ischemia of this patient may have been caused by vasculitis leading to occlusion of retinal arteries and multiple short posterior ciliary arteries.