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Purtscher’s retinopathy case report: short posterior ciliary arteries contribution to radial peripapillary capillary system observed with optical coherence tomography angiography

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Abstract

Purpose

The authors report a case of Purtscher’s retinopathy whose optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) analysis allows us to better understand the vascular network of the optic disk.

Methods

Case report.

Results

A 75-year-old man presented with vision loss in his left eye (LE) after chest compression. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the LE was 20/200, and the anterior segment showed a relative afferent pupillary defect. Dilated fundus examination revealed white peripapillary retinal patches and macular hemorrhage. The OCT scan showed edema and hyper-reflectivity of the inner retinal layers at macular level. In turn, OCTA evidenced capillary dropout in both macular retinal plexus, though with preservation of the radial peripapillary capillaries (RPC) and choriocapillary layer. At 9 months, BCVA was 20/20 associated with persistence macular ischemia but unaffected RPC.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this case suggests that the RPC does not depend exclusively on retinal capillaries as there was a reversible damage after a microvascular retinal disorder such as Purtscher’s retinopathy. Possibly, the contribution from short posterior ciliary arteries ensures proper vascularization as choriocapillary layer also remained unaffected. Furthermore, OCTA is considered a useful tool that affords better assessment of RPC than FA.

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Funding

No funding was received for this work from any of the following organizations: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Wellcome Trust; Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI); and other(s).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Valencia University Clinic Hospital, Avenida Blasco Ibáñez, 17, 46010, Valencia, Spain

    Elena Ávila-Marrón, John P. Liscombe-Sepúlveda, Laura Manfreda-Dominguez, Prudencia Rochina-Pérez & Antonio Duch-Samper

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Antonio Duch-Samper

  3. Cardenal Cienfuegos 2, Esc 3-8C, 33007, Oviedo, Spain

    Elena Ávila-Marrón

Authors
  1. Elena Ávila-Marrón
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  2. John P. Liscombe-Sepúlveda
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  3. Laura Manfreda-Dominguez
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  4. Prudencia Rochina-Pérez
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  5. Antonio Duch-Samper
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elena Ávila-Marrón.

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Conflict of interest

None of the authors have a proprietary interest. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individuals participants included in the study.

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Ávila-Marrón, E., Liscombe-Sepúlveda, J.P., Manfreda-Dominguez, L. et al. Purtscher’s retinopathy case report: short posterior ciliary arteries contribution to radial peripapillary capillary system observed with optical coherence tomography angiography. Int Ophthalmol 39, 2661–2665 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-019-01086-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-019-01086-9

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