Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion Associated With Directional Coronary Atherectomy After Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty

Purpose To report a case of branch retinal artery occlusion after atherectomy. Methods A 51-year-old man complained of visual loss in the right eye after directional coronary atherectomy, performed secondary to a complicated percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. He underwent a full ophthalmologic examination, including fluorescein angiography and Doppler ultrasound. Results Visual acuity was 20/30 with an inferior scotoma present in the right eye. There were three Hollenhorst plaques present inside the superotemporal vascular arcade. Conclusions There is a small but definite risk of retinal microinfarctions after atherectomy.