BRANCH RETINAL ARTERY-OCCLUSION IN CONGENITAL CYANOTIC HEART-DISEASE

Arterial complications in the ocular circulation are uncommon in patie nts with congenital cyanotic heart disease. We report the case of a 27 -year-old man with a single ventricle and partial transposition of the great vessels who presented with acute unilateral loss of the superio r field of vision. Funduscopy and fluorescein angiography revealed an inferior temporal branch retinal artery occlusion without evidence of other systemic emboli. In the presence of cyanosis and secondary polyc ythemia, repeated phlebotomy was undertaken. Subsequently, the artery recanalized, and visual acuity recovered. The mechanism of occlusion m ay have been embolic in nature or have occurred as a result of sludgin g within the retinal circulation and subsequent thrombosis.