High-altitude Retinopathy

To report a patient with high-altitude retinopathy. A 30-year-old man with high-altitude retinopathy was examined and treated. After spending 2 weeks at an altitude of 7,000 meters and then descending to sea level, the patient's visual acuity was RE, 20/20 and LE, 20/50. Intraretinal hemorrhage...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of ophthalmology 1997-03, Vol.123 (3), p.418-420
Main Authors: Lang, Gabriele E., Kuba, Gabriele B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Altitude Sickness - complications
Altitude Sickness - therapy
Aspirin - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Blood Cell Count
Fluorescein Angiography
Fundus Oculi
Hematocrit
Hemodilution
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Ophthalmology
Pentoxifylline - therapeutic use
Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use
Retinal Hemorrhage - etiology
Retinal Hemorrhage - therapy
Retinopathies
Scotoma - etiology
Scotoma - therapy
Vasodilator Agents - therapeutic use
Visual Acuity
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Summary:To report a patient with high-altitude retinopathy. A 30-year-old man with high-altitude retinopathy was examined and treated. After spending 2 weeks at an altitude of 7,000 meters and then descending to sea level, the patient's visual acuity was RE, 20/20 and LE, 20/50. Intraretinal hemorrhages in both eyes and a scotoma in the left eye were found. Blood cell count was normal, but hematocrit had increased to 53%. The patient was treated with isovolemic hemodilution, pentoxifylline, and aspirin, which reduced hematocrit to 41%. Visual acuity and visual field returned to normal, and intraretinal hemorrhages resolved. High-altitude hemoconcentration should be treated in patients with high-altitude retinopathy.
ISSN:0002-9394
1879-1891
DOI:10.1016/S0002-9394(14)70149-7