Severe proliferative retinopathy progressing to blindness in a japanese woman with takayasu disease

• Published in: American journal of ophthalmology Vol. 135; no. 5; pp. 722 - 723
• Main Authors: Kuwahara, Chihiro, Imamura, Yutaka, Okamura, Nobuaki, Sakai, Ryouichi, Ikeda, Tsunehiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.05.2003; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Blindness - etiology; Disease; Disease Progression; Eyes & eyesight; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Humans; Ischemia; Japan; Laser Coagulation; Medical sciences; Membranes; Middle Aged; Optic Atrophy - etiology; Retina; Retinal Detachment - diagnosis; Retinal Detachment - etiology; Retinal Detachment - surgery; Retinal Neovascularization - diagnosis; Retinal Neovascularization - etiology; Retinal Neovascularization - surgery; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Takayasu Arteritis - complications; Takayasu Arteritis - diagnosis; Takayasu Arteritis - ethnology; Vitrectomy; Japan; Human; Nervous system diseases; Optic nerve; Retinopathy; Vision disorder; Cardiovascular disease; Proliferation; Japanese; Vascular disease; Atrophy; Case study; Eye disease; Cranial nerve disease; Vasculitis; Systemic disease; Blindness; Complication; Severe; Takayashu arteritis
• ISSN: 0002-9394; 1879-1891
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9394(02)02087-1

To report a patient with Takayasu disease with severe proliferative retinopathy progressing to bilateral blindness. A 57-year-old Japanese woman suffering from Takayasu disease for 16 years manifested severe proliferative retinopathy in both eyes, leading to blindness due to optic atrophy. Interventional case report. A 57-year-old Japanese woman suffering from Takayasu disease for 16 years underwent a comprehensive opthalmologic examination. Panretinal photocoagulation and vitrectomy were performed on both eyes. Institutional practice. At initial examination, the patient was found to have severe proliferative retinopathy with tractional retinal detachment in both eyes. The retinal detachments were repaired by the vitrectomy, however, the patient developed bilateral blindness due to optic atrophy. Patients with a long history of Takayasu disease can demonstrate severe proliferative retinopathy that may be resistant to photocoagulation and/or vitreous surgery. Ocular ischemia can lead to blindness from ischemic optic neuropathy.