Retinal vasculature remodeling in a case of systemic lupus erythematosus vaso-occlusive retinopathy
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Published on: March 12, 2022
Rony Gelman1, Mary C Whitman, Jason Horowitz
1*Department of Ophthalmology, Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and †Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York.
Purpose:
To report a case of systemic lupus erythematosus vaso-occlusive retinopathy illustrating vascular remodeling over 4 years of follow-up.
Methods:
Observational case report of one patient.
Results:
A 12-year-old previously healthy girl presented with profound vision loss to 20/800 in both eyes. Her medical workup, neuro-imaging, and ophthalmic examination were consistent with coexistent central nervous system systemic lupus erythematosus and vaso-occlusive systemic lupus erythematosus retinopathy. At 15 months after presentation, retinal vasculature remodeling was evident along with severe macular atrophy. By 4 years after presentation, retinal neovascularization developed that was successfully treated with photocoagulation.
Conclusion:
We describe a case of systemic lupus erythematosus vaso-occlusive retinopathy illustrating vascular remodeling over 4 years of follow-up.
