Purpose: To determine the extent of retinal damage in Purtscher retinopathy (PR).
Methods: A longitudinal analysis of the retinal morphology and function was made by optical coherence tomography and electroretinography, respectively, on a patient with unilateral PR.
Results: Optical coherence tomography showed a marked thickening of the inner retinal layers in the acute phase and a thinning of the inner retinal layers and alteration of the outer layers in the chronic phase. The site of these changes corresponded with the cotton-wool patches. The results of electroretinography indicated reduced inner layer function in the acute phase and partial recovery in the chronic phase.
Conclusion: The inner and outer retinal layers are altered morphologically and functionally in eyes with PR. The dynamic evaluation on retinal morphology and function may be useful in understanding the pathophysiology of PR.