Optic nerve and retinal damage in a patient with post-hemorrhagic anemia

There is a number of literature data on ischemic optic neuropathy development in acute hemorrhage. However, ocular disorders in prolonged chronic hemorrhage and iron-deficiency anemia are not well studied. We present a clinical case of optic nerve and retinal damage in a patient with prolonged chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. 53-year-old patient S. presented with complaints on dramatic sudden loss of vision of his right eye (visual acuity was 0/02 and was not improving with correction). Visual acuity of the left eye was good. Ophthalmoscopy revealed right optic nerve swelling, flame-shaped disc and peripapillary hemorrhages, and multiple soft exudates along blood vessels of the right eye. Optic nerve head of the left eye was pale pink, with well-defined borders. Multiple soft exudates along blood vessels and few flame-shaped hemorrhages were identified as well. Clinical examination revealed iron-deficiency post-hemorrhagic anemia. The diagnosis of anterior ischemic neuropathy of the right eye, ischemic neuroretinopathy of left eye associated with post-hemorrhagic anemia was established. Conservative treatment increased hemoglobin level up to 82 g/l, the red blood cells count - up to 2,88×1012/L, hematocrit was 0.25%, platelet count reached 344×109/L, but the signs of rectal bleeding remained. The patient underwent surgery for hemorrhoids. After the increase of hemoglobin level, visual acuity of the right eye improved to 0.1, the visual acuity of the left eye was 1.0. According to the results of computed peripheral vision test (Humphrey Full Field 120 Point Screening Test), central scotoma and scotomas in the lower half of the field of vision of the right eye remained. In the field of vision of the left eye, the area of absolute arcuate scotoma in the lower-nasal quadrant decreased significantly. Reduced visual acuity was the main complaint of the patient with a longstanding gastrointestinal bleeding. A careful history and thorough clinical examination allowed to establish the cause of the optic nerve and retinal damage, to assign pathogenetically based treatment, which led to an improvement in visual function.