Paracentral acute middle maculopathy associated with hypoperfusion of the cilioretinal artery and impending central retinal vein occlusion

Background: Paracentral acute middle maculopathy is defined as ischemia of the deep retinal layers. We report an unusual case of paracentral acute middle maculopathy associated with hypoperfusion of the cilioretinal artery and impending central retinal vein occlusion in a young male with no previous comorbidities. Case Report: The patient was a 22-year-old male complaining about a sudden loss of vision in his right eye upon awakening. Fundus examination showed optic disk edema, and increased tortuosity of the retinal veins and a few retinal hemorrhages. Swept-source optical coherence tomography found a hyperreflective band that was more pronounced at the level of the inner nuclear layer of the retina. These findings led us to a diagnosis of paracentral acute middle maculopathy associated with hypoperfusion of the cilioretinal artery. Conclusion: The finding of paracentral acute middle maculopathy on optical coherence tomography demands a proper investigation of its cause, because it has an intimate association with vascular diseases and is not an isolated entity. In our case, we could not identify the etiology of the unilateral event in this young male, although dehydration due to alcohol consumption and subsequent hypotension might have played a role in this ischemic event.

Automated summary

The case report describes a 22-year-old male with paracentral acute middle maculopathy associated with hypoperfusion of the cilioretinal artery, but the etiology of this condition could not be identified. Optical coherence tomography plays a key role in the diagnosis of such cases.