A new form of retinopathy associated with myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

AIM To report a new form of retinopathy that was observed in patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS Serial ophthalmological examinations were conducted in 40 patients who underwent PCI. Thirty patients were diagnosed with AMI, and another 10 had stable angina pectoris. RESULTS Cotton wool spots developed in 17 (57%) patients from the group with AMI undergoing PCI (n = 30) within 2 months. Of these, 41% (seven patients) also developed superficial haemorrhages. Retinopathy was most prominent 1-2 months after AMI and then tended to become quiescent afterwards, without treatment. CONCLUSION We have identified a new form of retinopathy in patients with AMI that spontaneously subsides without treatment.