A case of branch retinal artery occlusion successfully treated with stellate ganglion block

Abstract

A 90-year-old man presented with sudden onset of superior visual field loss in the right eye after taking a bath at night. On the next day, he consulted an ophthalmologist. He was diagnosed with branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO). When he was referred to our hospital 17 hours after onset, he complained of nearly complete vision loss in the right eye. A stellate ganglion block (SGB) with 1％ lidocaine was performed immediately. His visual deficit resolved dramatically soon after. BRAO is an emergent condition that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. BRAO is caused by an embolism from the carotid artery, heart, or aortic arch, which leads to occlusion of the branch retinal artery. SGB increases retinal blood velocity and might have a beneficial effect of washing out the embolus. Aggressive treatment with SGB is important for improving the prognosis for vision.