Heart Attack Treatment Linked to New Eye Condition

Japanese researchers describe a new abnormality of the retina that can occur in patients who have undergone angioplasty or stenting to treat a heart attack.

Japanese researchers describe a new abnormality of the retina that can occur in patients who have undergone angioplasty or stenting to treat a heart attack. The eye disorder seems to clear up spontaneously without treatment a few weeks after the heart procedure. Dr. M. Kawakami and colleagues, from Jichi Medical School in Saitama, first became aware of the condition after noticing “cotton wool” spots around the retina of a heart attack patient whose blocked coronary artery had been cleared with a balloon catheter and propped open with a stent. This led the researchers to examine the retinas of similar patients. Among 40 patients screened, 30 had been treated for a heart attack and 10 for stable chest pain. Eye exams began three days after their procedures and continued for up to three months. As reported in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, 17 of the heart attack patients developed the eye condition, which was most apparent at 1 to 2 months. Seven of these patients also developed superficial bleeding in the retina. Although none of the affected patients had objective evidence of visual impairment, four complained of blurred or distorted vision. In most patients, the condition subsided after a few weeks, but in six patients it persisted for more than 3 months before resolving. None of the patients with stable chest pain had the abnormality, the investigators report. Kawakami’s team says that if doctors are not aware that this benign condition can occur in heart attack patients after they’ve been treated, it might lead to “unnecessary invasive examinations.” (Source: British Journal of Ophthalmology: Reuters Health: MedLine Plus: April 2004.)