J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2015 May;56(5):732-736. 10.3341/jkos.2015.56.5.732.

Ocular and Systemic Manifestation of Amaurosis Fugax: Six-Year Observational Study

• Moon TH
• Chae JB

• KMID: 2121172
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2015.56.5.732

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the prevalence of ocular and systemic disease causing amaurosis fugax and to discuss the ocular and systemic manifestation of each disease.
METHODS
Consecutive patients who had amaurosis fugax were retrospectively studied from 2007 to 2013. Carotid evaluation using Doppler was performed in all patients. Ocular and medical histories were taken and bilateral ophthalmic evaluation performed.
RESULTS
This study included 35 patients. The mean age of patients was 63 years and 27 patients were male; 29 unilateral and 6 bilateral eyes were involved. Associated systemic disease included hypertension (54.3%) and diabetes mellitus (34.2%). The most frequent cause of amaurosis fugax was retinal artery occlusion (28.6%) followed by ocular ischemic syndrome (22.9%), other vascular diseases (11.4%), and retinal vein occlusion (5.7%). The remaining 31.4% patients with amaurosis fugax had no vascular disease. Clinically significant stenosis of the internal carotid artery was observed in 16 patients (45.7%) and 6 of these patients (37.5%) had retinal artery occlusion disease.
CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence and clinical manifestation of amaurosis fugax is very complex. Patients with transient visual disturbance are at risk for retinal artery occlusion, ocular ischemic syndrome and other diseases which cause visual loss. Therefore, careful history taking and urgent systemic and ophthalmic evaluations should be performed.

Keyword

Amaurosis fugax; Carotid doppler ultrasonography; Carotid stenosis; Ocular ischemic syndrome; Retinal artery occlusion

MeSH Terms

Amaurosis Fugax*
Carotid Artery, Internal
Carotid Stenosis
Constriction, Pathologic
Diabetes Mellitus
Humans
Hypertension
Male
Observational Study*
Prevalence
Retinal Artery Occlusion
Retinal Vein Occlusion
Retrospective Studies
Vascular Diseases

Figure

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  Figure 1. Disease distribution of new patients with amaurosis fugax. * Diabetic retinopathy, atrial fibrillation; † Transient ischemic attack, migrane, panuveitis.

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