Casarini Barbara, Burani Margherita, Meletti Stefano, Bigliardi Guido, Picchetto Livio, Verdina Tommaso
Institute of Ophthalmology, AOU Policlinico di Modena, 41121, Modena, Italy.
Neurology Department, AOU Policlinico di Modena, 41124, Modena, Italy.
Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2025 Apr 24;38:102342. doi: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2025.102342. eCollection 2025 Jun.
The etiology and risk factors of the extremely rare retinal artery occlusion (RAO) in pediatric patients are poorly understood. We report a case of transient branch RAO (BRAO) patent foramen ovale (PFO)-related left circulation thromboembolism.
A healthy sixteen-year-old female presented with painless decreased vision in her left eye. Examinations revealed ischemic edema of a localized sector of the macular area and delayed artero-venous blood transit. Following neurological, cardiological and genetic examinations, a diagnosis and subsequent treatment for PFO were undertaken.
This rare case shows that a PFO should be always considered as a potential etiology of RAO in young patients, thus highlighting the importance of investigating all potential sources of embolisms to prevent further ischemic events.
小儿患者中极为罕见的视网膜动脉阻塞（RAO）的病因和危险因素尚不清楚。我们报告一例与卵圆孔未闭（PFO）相关的左循环血栓栓塞导致的短暂性分支视网膜动脉阻塞（BRAO）病例。
一名健康的16岁女性因左眼无痛性视力下降就诊。检查发现黄斑区局部扇形缺血性水肿和动静脉血流延迟。经过神经科、心脏科和基因检查后，对PFO进行了诊断和后续治疗。
这个罕见病例表明，PFO应始终被视为年轻患者RAO的潜在病因，从而凸显了调查所有潜在栓子来源以预防进一步缺血事件的重要性。
