Definition: sudden, painless loss of vision that lasts for seconds to minutes and is followed by spontaneous recovery (mostly unilateral)
Cause: retinal ischemia following transient occlusion of the central retinal artery by microemboli
- Cardiovascular causes (atherosclerosis, carotid artery stenosis, cardiac thrombi)
- Vasculitis (e.g., temporal arteritis, lupus erythematosus, polyarteritis nodosa)
Treatment
- Although amaurosis fugax is self-limiting, it is a harbinger of more serious conditions. Therefore, perimetry and treatment of the underlying cause are essential:
- Reduction of cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., low-dose aspirin therapy)
- In the case of temporal arteritis: high-dose glucocorticoid therapy
Complications
- Retinal artery occlusion
- Transient ischemic attacks (TIA)
- Stroke