ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To report a unique case of the branch retinal artery occlusion in a 6-year-old child due to hamartoma. METHOD: A 6-year-old male child presented with chief complaints of foreign body sensation in the left eye without any significant antecedent history of local or systemic cause. Best-corrected visual acuity in the left eye was 20/20. Fundus biomicroscopy revealed altered fundal reflex in superotemporal quadrant and gliotic tissue (Hamartoma) at the first bifurcation of the superior branch of retinal artery. Phakomatosis were ruled out with pediatrician consultation. RESULTS: All related blood investigations were normal. Optical coherence tomography showed focal thinning and optical coherence tomography angiography showed capillary nonperfusion in the corresponding quadrant of the retina. Fluoroscopy under general anesthesia confirmed the diagnosis. We came to the diagnosis of branch retinal artery occlusion may be because of local compression by the hamartoma. CONCLUSION: Three factors controls the occurrence of the vascular occlusion according to Virchow that is, hypercoagulability, hemodynamic changes, and endothelial injury/dysfunction. In our patient, external compression causing hemodynamic changes and subsequent endothelial injury/dysfunction, which promotes thrombosis seems to be the cause of the branch retinal artery occlusion. Patient was advised scheduled periodic follow-up.
