PURTSCHER-LIKE RETINOPATHY AND PARACENTRAL ACUTE MIDDLE MACULOPATHY CAUSED BY INDUSTRIAL SILICONE EMBOLISM

Purtscher-like retinopathy and paracentral acute middle maculopathy following breast filler injection

BACKGROUND

To report a rare case of pulmonary and ocular complications with visual loss due to bilateral Purtscher-like retinopathy and paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) following a hyaluronic acid (HA) filler injection to the breast. Systemic and visual recovery was attained following corticosteroid therapy.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 27-year-old lady presented with painless blurring of vision in both eyes for 2 weeks following hyaluronic acid breast filler injections by a non-medical practitioner. She was initially admitted to the medical ward for diffuse alveolar haemorrhage and altered sensorium. The presenting visual acuity was counting fingers in both eyes. Bilateral dilated fundus examination showed hyperaemic discs, concentric rim of retinal whitening around macula with patches of polygonal-shaped retinal whitening, generalised cotton-wool spots, tortuous veins, and flame-shaped haemorrhages. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) macula revealed hyper-reflective bands at the inner nuclear layer (INL). Fluorescein angiography demonstrated hot discs, delayed arm-to-retina time, arterial filling, and arterio-venous transit time with staining of the vessels at the posterior pole. She was managed with a tapering dose of systemic corticosteroids. The visual acuity improved to 6/12 over 8 weeks with significant anatomical and functional improvement. Dilated fundus examination showed resolution of initial funduscopy findings. The hyper-reflective bands on the OCT had resolved with subsequent thinning of the INL and disorganisation of retinal inner layers.

CONCLUSION

Filler injections are in increasing demand and are frequently being performed by non-medical practitioners. Visual loss from non-facial HA fillers is rare. Inadvertent entry of HA into a blood vessel may potentially cause systemic and sight-threatening ocular complications. Good anatomical knowledge and proper injection technique are vital in preventing this unfortunate sequela. There are limited reports on successful visual recovery following various treatment approaches and we hope this case provides valuable insights.

Penile Filler Injection Leading to Silicone Embolism Syndrome and Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy

A 31-year-old male with acute blurred vision and respiratory distress occurring three days after a penile filler injection was found to have outer plexiform layer hyperreflectivity on optical coherence tomography (OCT), consistent with paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM). He was diagnosed with diffuse bilateral pneumonitis and silicone embolism syndrome requiring inpatient management. Following systemic stabilization, his vision and OCT findings improved. PAMM may be associated with silicone embolism syndrome in the presence of acute central scotomas and minimal retinal findings. Penile filler injections could contribute to retinal vaso-occlusion via an embolic process. PAMM may be self-limited and result in functional vision. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2022;53:635-638.].

Paracentral acute middle maculopathy-review of the literature

Paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) is a recently identified spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) finding characterized by a hyper-reflective band spanning the inner nuclear layer (INL), which typically evolves to INL atrophy in later stages. Typical clinical features include the sudden onset of one or multiple paracentral scotomas, normal or mild reduction in visual acuity, and a normal fundus appearance or a fundus with a deep grayish lesion. Although its pathophysiology is not yet fully understood, ischemia at the level of the intermediate and deep capillary plexa has been demonstrated to play a major role. Since its first description, an increasing number of publications on PAMM have been published in ophthalmology scientific journals. The purpose of this study is to provide a review of the current literature on PAMM.