Transient Unilateral Visual Loss and Ophthalmoplegia Following Spine Surgery in Prone Position

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report a case of transient ophthalmoplegia and visual loss caused by ophthalmic artery occlusion induced after surgery in prone position. METHODS: A 32-year-old woman was referred to the department of ophthalmology for unilateral visual loss and ophthalmoplegia after cervical spine surgery performed in prone position. Full ocular examinations, including fluorescein angiography (FAG) and electroretinography (ERG) were performed. RESULTS: On the initial visit, her right visual acuity was light perception and the left visual acuity was 1.0. Ophthalmoplegia and an afferent pupillary defect was present in the right eye. A fundus examination revealed no abnormal findings. On the 4th day, the retina in posterior pole was opacified and late phase of FAG showed fluorescein leakage from the retinal and choroidal vessels. On the 8th day, the best corrected visual acuity of the right eye was improved to 0.7 and ERG showed decreased amplitudes of both a and b waves. On the 12 th day, ocular motility was fully recovered. On the 61 st day, visual acuity of the right eye was 0.7 and ERG showed that the amplitude had improved from the initial examination.