We report a case of branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) interconnected with the perifoveal capillaries in a healthy young female.

A 16-year-old female presented with sudden loss of vision in her left eye. Upon initial examination, her left visual acuity was 0.02 and intraocular pressure was 31 mm Hg. Fundus examination revealed pallid retinal edema of the inferior posterior pole and retinal hemorrhage below optic disc. Ocular massage followed by anterior chamber paracentesis was performed for 30 minutes within 4 hours after the onset of vision loss. Fluorescein angiography (FAG) showed a very slow blood flow in the superotemporal and inferotemporal retinal arteries and a delay in retinal arteriovenous transit time. We performed hemodynamic tests such as blood pressure, echocardiography, and the hematologic test for thrombogenicity and all tests were normal. At three weeks after treatment, vision in the left eye was 0.7 and FAG revealed normal retinal arterial circulation and venous drainage time.

This is the first report regarding acute BRAO in a healthy Korean child without any detectable systemic disorder. Prompt treatment can prevent permanent visual loss in BRAO involving the macular area.