Korean J Ophthalmol.  2009 Dec;23(4):318-320. 10.3341/kjo.2009.23.4.318.

Valsalva Retinopathy Associated With an Oratorical Contest

• Kim JY
• Lee DH
• Lee JH
• Yoon IN

• KMID: 754773
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/kjo.2009.23.4.318

Abstract

A 17-year-old man presented to us with a chief complaint of decreased visual acuity accompanied by central scotoma. There was nothing unusual in his medical history other than a recent oratorical contest. At the time of initial diagnosis, the corrected visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/100 in the left eye. No significant findings were apparent on ophthalmic evaluation. On fundoscopy, there was a dumbbell-shaped macular bleed with a well-defined margin in the left eye. The clinical course was closely monitored along with drug therapy. Four weeks post presentation, the pre-retinal hemorrhage had nearly resolved. On fluorescein angiography, no significant findings were observed. In the left eye, the corrected visual acuity had improved to 20/25. Valsalva retinopathy is a pathology that occurs when a sudden increase in intra-thoracic pressure or abdominal pressure occurs in an otherwise healthy person. Here we report a case of Valsalva retinopathy occurring following an oratorical contest along with a review of the relevant literature.

Keyword

Oratorical contest; Valsalva retinopathy

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Fluorescein Angiography
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
*Music
Remission, Spontaneous
Retinal Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology
Tomography, Optical Coherence
*Valsalva Maneuver
Visual Acuity

Figure

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  Fig. 1 A fundus photo (OU) obtained at the initial examination. This photo of the left eye demonstrates a preretinal hemorrhage at the fovea.

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  Fig. 2 Optical coherence tomography (OCT) finding (OS) at the initial examination. OCT findings demonstrate a high reflectivity lesion at the macula, consistent with a preretinal hemorrhage.

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  Fig. 3 A fundus photo (OS) obtained four wk after the initial presentation. The previous preretinal hemorrhage on the macula has mostly resolved.

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  Fig. 4 Fluorescein angiography findings (OS) four wk after the initial presentation. The fluorescein angiography was unremarkable.

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