Abstract
Transient monocular blindness (TMB) is caused by a temporary reduction of blood flow
to the retina or optic nerve. Even though embolism from the ipsilateral carotid artery
has been considered the main mechanism of TMB, the vascular pathology remains unknown
in many patients. A 42-year-old man presented with recurrent transient visual loss
in the left eye for 2 months. The attacks tended to develop more frequently when his head was bent down.
Fluorescence angiography during an attack revealed hypoperfusion of the left central
retinal artery (CRA) and cerebral angiography documented a focal isolated stenosis
of the CRA at the origin. Aspirin and nimodipine reduced the attacks markedly. Stenosis
of the CRA may be a cause of TMB. Intermittent vasospasm in addition to static hypoperfusion
may have caused TMB in our patient with isolated CRA stenosis.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Clinical NeuroscienceAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Current management of amaurosis fugax.Stroke. 1990; 21: 201-208
- Transient monocular blindness associated with hemiplegia.AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1952; 47: 167-203
- Amaurosis fugax: the results of arteriography in 59 patients.Stroke. 1983; 14: 742-744
- Recurrent attacks of amaurosis fugax treated with calcium channel blocker.Ann Neurol. 1991; 30: 423-425
- Amaurosis fugax associated with ophthalmic artery stenosis: clinical simulation of carotid artery disease.Stroke. 1980; 11: 290-293
- De Mol van Otterloo JC. Amaurosis fugax and stenosis of the ophthalmic artery–a case report.Vasc Surg. 2001; 35: 141-143
- Orbital vascular anatomy.Eye (Lond). 2006; 20: 1130-1144
- Topography of the posterior arteries supplying the eye and relations to the optic nerve.Acta Ophthalmol Scand. 2006; 84: 642-649
- Amaurosis fugax and ocular infarction in adolescents and young adults.Ann Neurol. 1989; 26: 69-77
- Brief report: treatment of vasospastic amaurosis fugax with calcium-channel blockers.N Engl J Med. 1993; 329: 396-398
- Low-dose aspirin inhibits platelet-induced contraction of the human isolated coronary artery. A role for additional 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor antagonism against coronary vasospasm?.Circulation. 1994; 89: 623-629
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
September 23,
2012
Received:
September 19,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.