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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

A Murine Model of Ischemic Retinal Injury Induced by Transient Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion
Published on: November 12, 2020
Isolated bilateral blindness as the sole manifestation of transient ischaemic attacks
Michael Krasnianski1, Viktoria Bau, Stephan Neudecker
1Department of Neurology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Saale, Germany. michael.krasnianski@medizin.uni-halle.de
Purpose:
To explain the rare phenomenon of acute transient bilateral blindness without additional ophthalmological or neurological symptoms and signs.
Methods:
Six patients with isolated bilateral visual loss lasting 1-15 mins and occurring simultaneously in both eyes were evaluated. Clinical observation, neuroimaging (CT, MRI, MR-angiography), extra- and transcranial Doppler and vascular risk factors assessment were performed.
Results:
Cortical blindness due to bilateral occipital lobe transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) was established as the most likely cause of acute transient visual loss in all patients.
Conclusion:
We suggest that in cases of transient bilateral blindness with sudden onset, appearing simultaneously in both visual fields, a bilateral ischaemia of the visual cortex should be suspected even if other neurological symptoms are lacking. Patients should be managed in the same way as patients with vertebrobasilar TIAs.
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