Postoperative cortical blindness after right upper lung lobectomy

• Published in: Revista española de anestesiología y reanimación Vol. 59; no. 3; p. 157
• Main Authors: Bausili, M, Abreu, S, Unzueta, M C, García Álvarez, M, Crespí, J, Moral, M V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 01.03.2012
• Subjects: Anticoagulants - administration & dosage; Anticoagulants - therapeutic use; Aspirin - administration & dosage; Aspirin - therapeutic use; Blindness, Cortical - etiology; Brain Ischemia - complications; Brain Ischemia - diagnosis; Brain Ischemia - diagnostic imaging; Brain Ischemia - drug therapy; Cerebellum - blood supply; Cerebral Angiography - methods; Color Perception; Comorbidity; Consciousness Disorders - etiology; Diagnosis, Differential; Drug Therapy, Combination; Dysarthria - etiology; Female; Heparin - administration & dosage; Heparin - therapeutic use; Humans; Intracranial Embolism - complications; Intracranial Embolism - diagnosis; Intracranial Embolism - diagnostic imaging; Intracranial Embolism - drug therapy; Language Disorders - etiology; Lung Neoplasms - surgery; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Middle Aged; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Pneumonectomy; Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome - diagnosis; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 2340-3284
• DOI: 10.1016/j.redar.2011.12.003

Changes in vision after non-ophthalmic surgery are a serious complication that can have devastating consequences due to its potential irreversibility. This not only leads to medical problems, but also legal ones. Many causes that affect sight during the peri-operative period have been identified, whether due to optic nerve damage or of extra-ocular origin (in the neuro-optic pathways and/or cerebral cortex). AU these may have a multifactorial origin, and there is still controversy as regards it pathogenesis and treatment. We present the case of a thoracic surgery patient who had a bilateral amaurosis in the post-operative period, which had a favourable outcome.