Vascular retinopathy in migraine.

After years of episodic monocular visual loss, two migraineurs suffered sudden, persisting loss of vision from retinal vascular occlusion. One was a 34-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus who showed abnormalities of the cilioretinal arterial and retinal venous circulations. The other was a 62-year-old man with hypertension and arteriosclerosis who had a central retinal vein occlusion. Persisting monocular visual loss is a rare consequence of migraine. Our cases suggest a role for venous lesions. Occlusion of retinal vessels in some migraineurs may result from the synergistic effect of another vascular disorder with the migraine.