Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2014 | Case report
Bilateral impending macular holes after a high-voltage electrical shock injury and its surgical outcome: a case report
Published in: Journal of Medical Case Reports | Issue 1/2014
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Introduction
A macular hole is a rare complication after high-voltage electrical shock injury and only a few cases have been reported to date. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of bilateral impending macular holes after high-voltage electrical shock.
Case presentation
We report a case of bilateral impending macular holes in a 39-year-old male Chinese patient who sustained a high-voltage electrical shock three months prior to presentation. Our patient complained of gradually diminished eyesight in both eyes, with visual acuity of 20/100 and 20/40 in his right and left eyes respectively. Our patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy accompanied by octafluoropropane gas and triamcinolone acetonide injections, and was discharged from our hospital with slightly improved vision.
Conclusion
The visual outcome of impending macular holes caused by high-voltage electrical shock may be poor despite tissue residue at the fovea and surgical intervention aimed at aiding macular recovery. Surgery is, however, effective in the short term in restoring normal anatomical macular structure.