A case of branch retinal artery occlusion after embolization of an unruptured internal carotid-ophthalmic artery aneurysm

A 32-year-old lady had an unruptured right internal carotid-ophthalmic artery aneurysm, accompanied with a large arteriovenous malformation on the same side. She underwent coil embolization for the aneurysm. Two days after embolization, she experienced a sudden onset of visual disturbance on the right side caused by occlusion of a branch of the retinal artery. The ophthalmic artery usually has a rich collateral pathway from the external carotid artery, so visual disturbance seldom occurs with the occlusion of the ophthalmic artery. In this case, a small thromboembolism seemed to occlude a branch of the retinal artery after recanalization of the ophthalmic artery. Considering that a complication like that of this case can occur, an adequate anticoagulant therapy should be performed in this aneurysm.