Spontaneous Late Visual Recovery in Pediatric Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

The authors report a rare case of pediatric central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) and spontaneous late recovery, with associated literature review. A retrospective review of patient medical records and literature search of four relevant databases was conducted. A 7-year-old girl with sudden, painless loss of vision in her right eye was referred to the authors' center where she was found to have a CRAO with hand motion visual acuity. One month later, the patient developed multiple retinal hemorrhages throughout the fundus. Despite undergoing extensive investigations, a cause for her condition was not determined. Seventeen months after the original event, the patient regained a visual acuity of 20/40. A CRAO in the pediatric population is relatively rare and requires extensive investigation into the potential cause. Compared to adult CRAO, presentation in the pediatric age group should warrant a high index of suspicion and extensive work-up to treat any underlying systemic conditions and possibly prevent involvement of the other eye. [ J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus . 2023;60(6):e70–e74.]