[Visual impairment caused by recreational usage of cocaine--a case report]

We presented a case of sudden and painless vision impairment connected with the recreational usage of cocaine. According to many authors illicit use of cocaine has been associated with the most common adverse effect among all psychoactive drugs. In the last years there were a few articles about vision problems after the usage of cocaine. In most cases the main mechanism was central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). The vision impairment developed from 3 to 10 hrs after the cocaine use and the outcome, despite the intensive treatment, was usually poor. All doctors should keep in mind the possibility of cocaine usage, in young and healthy people, who developed a sudden and painless vision loss.