Received: October 8, 2008.

Accepted: January 12, 2009.

Abstract published online: February 7, 2009.

Full paper published online: February 28, 2009.

VISION LOSS FOLLOWING SNAKEBITE IN A PATIENT WITH CONTROLLED APLASTIC ANEMIA

Kweon EY (1), Lee DW (1), Ahn M (1), Nork TM (2), Cho NC (1)

(1) Department of Ophthalmology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, South Korea; (2) Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

ABSTRACT: Viper venoms act mainly on blood and blood vessels. Reports of ophthalmic manifestations after snakebite include ptosis and ophthalmoplegia. In the current study, we describe a case that developed bilateral retinal and subretinal hemorrhage following snakebite. Bilateral retinal hemorrhage is a rare ocular complication of snake envenomation and has not been reported with fundus photographs in the literature so far.

KEY WORDS: snakebite, retinal hemorrhage, visual loss, aplastic anemia.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: There is no conflict.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

NAM CHUN CHO, Department of Ophthalmology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, San 2-20 Geumam-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, 561-180, South Korea. Phone: 82 63 250 1969. Fax: 82 63 250 1960. Email: cnauo@chonbuk.ac.kr.