Acute, bilateral, concurrent central retinal artery occlusion in sickle cell disease after use of tadalafil (Cialis)
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Updated: May 7, 2026

A Murine Model of Ischemic Retinal Injury Induced by Transient Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion
Published on: November 12, 2020
Ravi K Murthy1, Lizette Perez, Joshua C Priluck
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville.
Importance:
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by vaso-occlusive crisis. In the eye, central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a rare complication in SCD, with only 1 previous report of bilateral, concurrent CRAO. We report a case of bilateral, concurrent CRAO in a patient with SCD, possibly precipitated by the use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors.
Observations:
A 37-year-old African American woman with a known medical history significant for SCD and pulmonary arterial hypertension who was receiving treatment with tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, developed bilateral, concurrent CRAO that persisted after exchange transfusion.
Conclusions And Relevance:
Bilateral CRAO secondary to SCD is extremely rare, with only 1 previous case report in the literature. The use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors is an additional risk factor and may have contributed to the development of concurrent CRAO in this patient.
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