Recovery from ocular ischemic syndrome after treatment with verapamil

Vasospasm has been implicated as a cause of amaurosis fugax, which can be controlled by administration of the calcium channel blockers nifedipine or verapamil. However, vasospasm has not previously been thought to be involved in chronic ocular ischemia. We report a patient with ocular ischemic syndrome, which may have had vasospasm as a contributing cause, since the patient also developed amaurosis fugax despite daily aspirin therapy. An 80-year-old man with chronic open-angle glaucoma developed chronic ocular ischemia characterized by progressively decreased visual acuity, pain, rubeosis, and hypotony, as well as transient visual dimming. Medical evaluation revealed no evidence of carotid stenosis, thromboembolism, or vasculitis as the cause of ocular ischemia. When the calcium channel blocker verapamil was administered, the episodes of transient visual dimming ceased immediately. In addition, soon thereafter, visual acuity improved, the rubeosis partially regressed, and the hypotony reversed. This case indicates that the calcium channel blocker verapamil may be effective in treating cases of ocular ischemic syndrome, when vasospasm is a contributing cause.