Persistent Visual Loss After Retinochoroidal Infarction in Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

• Published in: Journal of neuro-ophthalmology Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 128 - 130
• Main Authors: Patel, Nishal, Riordan-Eva, Paul, Chong, Victor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01-06-2005; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Subjects: Adult; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Blindness - diagnosis; Blindness - drug therapy; Blindness - etiology; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Choroid - blood supply; Clinical manifestations. Epidemiology. Investigative techniques. Etiology; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation - complications; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation - diagnosis; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation - drug therapy; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Infarction - complications; Infarction - diagnosis; Infarction - drug therapy; Labetalol - therapeutic use; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical sciences; Ophthalmology; Platelet Count; Platelet diseases and coagulopathies; Pregnancy; Retinal Vessels; Vision disorders; Visual Acuity; Pregnancy; Hypertension; Eye disease; Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy; Infarct; Visual impairment; Vision disorder; Blindness; Cardiovascular disease; Hemopathy; Ophthalmology; Coagulopathy
• ISSN: 1070-8022; 1536-5166
• DOI: 10.1097/01.WNO.0000166062.81107.88

A 40-year-old woman had pregnancy-induced hypertension, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), choroidal infarction, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) high-signal abnormalities in the occipital regions. With successful treatment of the hypertension and spontaneous resolution of the DIC, the MRI signal abnormalities resolved, but visual acuity remained decreased because of damage to the retina and choroid. This case demonstrates that pregnancy-induced hypertension, particularly if combined with DIC, may produce infarction of the retina and choroid and persistent visual loss even if the effect of this condition on the occipital lobes is limited to reversible vasogenic edema.