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Updated: May 6, 2026
A Murine Model of Ischemic Retinal Injury Induced by Transient Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion
Published on: November 12, 2020
Branch retinal artery occlusion following radiation therapy to the head and neck: a case report
Helen Jiang, Maxwell S Stem, Jerome I Finkelstein1
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, USA. jifink@umich.edu.
Background:
Previous studies have established that radiation to the head and neck leads to atherosclerosis and stenosis of the carotid artery and subsequent increased stroke risk, but the ophthalmic sequella following cervical irradiation is less well-defined.
Case Presentation:
We present a single case of branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) in a 55 year-old Caucasian male seen at the University of Michigan in 2008 following unilateral head and neck radiation.
Conclusion:
This case demonstrates that patients receiving radiation to the head and neck may be at increased risk for developing a BRAO secondary to atherosclerotic changes of vessels adjacent to the radiation target. Given this risk, it may be reasonable to obtain carotid artery imaging in patients with a history of cervical radiation who present with sudden or transient visual field defects, even in the absence of other conventional risk factors for atherosclerosis.
