PURTSCHER RETINOPATHY

Course overview

PURTSCHER RETINOPATHY, ALSO KNOWN AS TRAUMATIC RETINAL ANGIOPATHY, LYMPHORRHAGIA RETINAE, OR RETINAL TELETRAUMATISM, IS AN OCCLUSIVE MICROVASCULOPATHY CHARACTERIZED BY MULTIPLE RETINAL WHITE AREAS AROUND THE OPTIC NERVE HEAD AND FOVEA WITH PARAVASCULAR CLEARING WHICH MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH INTRARETINAL HEMORRHAGES. PURTSCHER FLECKEN (POLYGONAL RETINAL WHITENING BETWEEN THE RETINAL ARTERIOLES AND VENULES), COTTON WOOL SPOTS, AND MINIMAL INTRARETINAL HEMORRHAGE ARE USUAL FEATURES. PATIENTS WITH PURTSCHER RETINOPATHY TYPICALLY PRESENT WITH A SUDDEN-ONSET PAINLESS VISUAL DECLINE IN BOTH EYES WITHIN TWO DAYS OF TRAUMA. MANAGEMENT DEPENDS ON THE CAUSE, AND THE ROLE OF SYSTEMIC STEROID NEED FURTHER EVALUATION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF PURTSCHER RETINOPATHY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.