Incidental Transient Cortical Blindness after Lung Resection

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Thoracic Surgery

Background:

• Transient vision loss is a rare surgical complication, typically linked to cardiac, spinal, head, and neck procedures.
• Vision loss following lung resection has not been previously reported in medical literature.

Observation:

• A 65-year-old male patient developed cortical blindness 12 hours post-right upper lobectomy for lung cancer.
• Neurological examination and imaging (MRI, diffusion-weighted) were normal; blood glucose and PO2 levels were within normal limits.

Findings:

• The patient experienced complete visual recovery within 72 hours.
• Postoperative vision loss in this case is hypothesized to be due to autonomic dysfunction affecting posterior circulation, potentially exacerbated by diabetes mellitus.

Implications:

• This case suggests that autonomic dysfunction, particularly in older diabetic patients, can manifest as vision loss after lung resection.
• Clinicians should consider this rare complication in the differential diagnosis of postoperative visual disturbances following thoracic surgery.