Asymptomatic unilateral microembolic retinopathy secondary to percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for the treatment of coronary artery disease has increased in frequency as technological advances have made the procedure more effective and cost-efficient. In spite of the number of procedures that have been performed, ocular complications have rarely been reported.

A case of asymptomatic unilateral microembolic retinopathy one month after PTCA is presented. Embolic events to the retinal circulation and their relationship to invasive cardiac procedures is discussed.

The embolic ocular complications of PTCA is probably underestimated due to the lack of symptoms from the partial occlusion of the larger retinal arteries and the total occlusion of the remote smaller vessels.