Unusual presentation of a multiple sclerosis case involving central retinal artery occlusion

ABSTRACT

The term intermediate uveitis [IU] refers to a subgroup of uveitis in which the vitreous is the site of greatest inflammation. Patients with multiple sclerosis [MS] have a greater frequency of IU compared with the general population. The IU associated with MS is characterized by the presence of pars planitis [occasionally accompanied by anterior uveitis] and the presence of peripheral retinal vasculitis in the form of periphlebitis [venous sheathing] in 6-26% of patients. We present a patient with an unusual initial presentation of MS involving central retinal artery occlusion [CRAO] in the right eye [RE]. Although retinal vascular changes are asymptomatic in the majority of MS patients, the spectrum of impairment ranges from simple peripheral retina periphlebitis to the presence of peripheral occlusive retinal vasculitis in 6.5% of patients. This atypical case may represent an extreme of the spectrum of retinal vasculitis associated with demyelinating disease