Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Following Periocular Autologous Fat Injection

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report an unusual case of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and choroidal ischemia after injection of autologous fat into the periorbital region due to embolism of the short posterior ciliary artery without involving the retinal artery. CASE SUMMARY: A 39-year-old female presented with sudden blurred vision, diplopia and ptosis of her left eye immediately after receiving an autologous fat injection into the periorbital area. The first ophthalmologic examination revealed that the patient s left eye had decreased visual acuity, relative afferent pupillary defect, exotropia, and hypertropia. Fundus examination of the left eye showed disc edema. Fluorescein angiography showed multiple choroidal vascular filling defects at the early phase and wedge-shaped or geographic fluorescein staining at the superior, inferior, and temporal peripheral areas at late phase. Humphrey visual field test results disclosed an inferior visual field defect. On the follow-up visit after oral steroid therapy (prednisolone 30 mg) for 7 days, diplopia disappeared and visual acuity recovered to 1.0. The inferior visual field defect and relative afferent pupillary defect were still present.