Acute traumatic maculopathy

Abstract

Traumatic retinopathy may occur secondary to direct or indirect trauma to the globe. Presentation of retinopathy may either be a coup (direct site of injury) and or contre-coup (distant sites including the macula). Commotio retinae in the posterior pole is referred to as Berlin's edema. The fovea is extremely thin, and blunt trauma may cause a full-thickness macular hole by either one or a combination of mechanisms, including contusion necrosis and vitreous traction. Holes may be noted immediately or soon after blunt trauma due to severe Berlin's edema, or after a subretinal hemorrhage caused by a choroidal rupture, or following severe cystoid macular edema, or after a whiplash separation of the vitreous from the retina. Post-traumatic macular holes (TMHs) may be successfully closed with vitrectomy and gas injection. We report a case of blunt trauma leading to Berlin's edema and TMH.