Journal of Clinical Case Reports

Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion without Morphologic or Electrophysiological Evidence

Abstract

Milena Pahlitzsch, Jan Schroeter, Daniel Salchow, Mirjam Rossel and Richard Bergholz

A 71-year-old man reported sudden, painless loss of the superior visual field of the right eye three days ago. Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/32 on the right and 20/25 on the left eye, a relative afferent pupillary defect was absent. Slitlamp-biomicroscy and dilated fundus exam were normal. Time-domain Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) of the macula, pattern visual evoked potentials and multifocal electroretinography were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed an infarction located in the right parieto-occipital area, inconsistent with the visual field defect. 2 weeks later fundus examination showed two cholesterol emboli in the inferior temporal retinal artery, OCT showed retinal thinning of the inferior macula. Conclusion: Branch retinal artery occlusion may initially present without morphologic and electrophysiological evidence. Re-evaluation at a later time should reveal typical findings such as retinal thinning.