Abstract
Purpose: :
To describe early optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of phototoxic maculopathy in a patient with dry age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) after uncomplicated short duration cataract surgery with one-year follow-up
Methods: :
Retrospective Case Analysis
Results: :
A 77-year-old female with dry ARMD underwent uncomplicated short duration cataract surgery. Her post-operative vision (20/200) was significantly worse than her pre-operative vision (20/50). Fundus and flourescein evaluations performed before and after surgery showed minimal changes. There was no evidence of choroidal neovascular membrane. An OCT performed 11 days after surgery showed findings of phototoxic maculopathy previously reported in cases of solar retinopathy. These early OCT findings of phototoxic maculopathy noted within the early post-operative period following uncomplicated cataract surgery have not previously been reported in the literature. With one-year follow-up there is complete resolution of OCT findings with no improvement in visual acuity
Conclusions: :
Fundus and flourescein photos may show minimal evidence of photoxic maculopathy after cataract surgery. An early OCT is key to making the diagnosis, particularly as OCT findings may resolve with no improvement in visual acuity. Although not previously noted, patients with dry ARMD may be more susceptible to photic injury during cataract surgery, as the foveolar choroidal circulation is compromised and may be less likely to recover from phototoxic retinal injury.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • radiation damage: light/UV • macula/fovea