Consequence of perforation during peribulbar anesthesia in an only eye

A patient with a blind fellow eye had cataract surgery in the right eye; anesthesia comprised an intraocular injection of lidocaine and bupivacaine. Forty-eight hours after surgery, visual acuity in the right eye was light perception (LP). Three days later, fundus examination showed inferotemporal hemorrhage, retinal whitening consistent with needle tracking, and a diffusely pale optic disc in the operated eye. Computed tomography showed an intact optic nerve in both eyes and high-density vitreal lesions in the right eye. Laser photocoagulation was applied to the retinal break. We believe that a jet stream of anesthetic agent may have transiently increased intraocular volume enough to occlude the central retinal artery. Although the retina remained attached, visual acuity failed to improve beyond LP.