PARACENTRAL ACUTE MIDDLE MACULOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH PHOSPHODIESTERASE-5 INHIBITOR THERAPY

To present an atypical case of paracentral acute middle maculopathy occurred upon awakening in the morning within hours after phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor consumption at bedtime.

Multimodal retinal imaging findings, including fluorescein angiography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, optical coherence tomography angiography, and microperimetry of a particular case of paracentral acute middle maculopathy lesion that follow the distribution of the cilioretinal artery.

A 52-year-old healthy man presented with an acute paracentral scotoma in his left eye upon awakening in the morning, after the use of a PDE-5 inhibitor pill the previous night. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography illustrated a hyperreflective band-like lesion at the level of the inner nuclear layer, consistent with a diagnosis of paracentral acute middle maculopathy, along the course of the cilioretinal artery that appeared normally perfused with fluorescein angiography. Optical coherence tomography angiography showed a perfusion deficit and capillary pruning of the retinal deep capillary plexus, with preserved intermediate capillary plexus, that colocalized with the paracentral scotoma confirmed with microperimetry.

To our knowledge, this is the first report of paracentral acute middle maculopathy after the use of PDE-5 inhibitor. Nocturnal arterial hypotension exacerbated by the vasodilatory effect of the PDE-5 inhibitor may have caused transient cilioretinal artery hypo/nonperfusion and insufficiency. Paracentral acute middle maculopathy may represent the earliest form of ischemia in the central macular region, occurring after a milder vascular insult.