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Acute, bilateral, concurrent central retinal artery occlusion in sickle cell disease after use of tadalafil (Cialis)

R. K. Murthy, Lizeth Joseline Fuentes Perez, J. Priluck, S. Grover, K. Chalam

JAMA ophthalmology, 2013

15 citations

Abstract

IMPORTANCE

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by vaso-occlusive crisis. In the eye, central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a rare complication in SCD, with only 1 previous report of bilateral, concurrent CRAO. We report a case of bilateral, concurrent CRAO in a patient with SCD, possibly precipitated by the use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors.

OBSERVATIONS

A 37-year-old African American woman with a known medical history significant for SCD and pulmonary arterial hypertension who was receiving treatment with tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, developed bilateral, concurrent CRAO that persisted after exchange transfusion.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Bilateral CRAO secondary to SCD is extremely rare, with only 1 previous case report in the literature. The use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors is an additional risk factor and may have contributed to the development of concurrent CRAO in this patient.

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