Catastrophic retinal vascular occlusion and vision loss due to crystal deposition in end-stage kidney disease treated with peritoneal dialysis.

PURPOSE

To report two cases of catastrophic retinal vascular occlusion and crystalline retinopathy due to presumed oxalosis and hyperphosphatemia.

OBSERVATIONS

We describe two unrelated patients with end-stage kidney failure (ESKD) treated with peritoneal dialysis that developed rapid bilateral vision loss due to severe retinal vascular occlusion. Multi-modal retinal imaging studies demonstrated crystalline deposits. Plasma phosphorus and oxalate levels were markedly elevated compared to persons with normal kidney function. One patient harbored a heterozygous variant of unknown significance in the Alanine--Glyoxylate Aminotransferase () gene. Intense hemodialysis and diet modification reduced phosphorus and oxalate levels.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE

This report serves to raise awareness of hyperphosphatemia and oxalosis in dialysis patients to alert providers so that they can act to decrease the potential risk of vision loss.