VISUAL OUTCOME FOLLOWING PARACENTESIS IN CENTRAL RETINAL ARTERY OCCLUSION

AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate whether paracentesis improves visual acuity after central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO), depending on the time between first symptoms of CRAO and the implementation of paracentesis. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with Central retinal artery occlusion attending the outpatient and in-patient department, Department of Ophthalmology, K. R. Hospital, Mysore, fulfilling the inclusion criteria framed were included under the study, between the periods from September 2013 to September 2014 (1 year). Informed and written consent was taken from all the patients. After detailed history, all necessary ocular, systemic examination and investigations was done. Patients received the conservative treatment after the diagnosis was found along with paracentesis. The primary endpoints were the change in visual acuity 3 days after the paracentesis and the time between first symptoms and initiation of therapy. RESULTS: 4(40%) out of 10 patients who presented within 8 hours onset of CRAO, showed a gain in visual acuity following anterior chamber paracentesis from hand movements positive to counting finger at 2 metres in temporal visual field. CONCLUSION: Paracentesis by reducing intraocular pressure improves retinal arterial perfusion pressure, by vasodilatation of central retinal artery leads to dislodgement of the thrombus or emboli from a major retinal branch to the periphery restoring some amount of vision in a particular sectoral field.