RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Poppers maculopathy missed in a patient with cataract highlights the importance of preoperative optical coherence tomography
JF BMJ Case Reports
JO BMJ Case Reports
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e259477
DO 10.1136/bcr-2023-259477
VO 17
IS 6
A1 Kanda, Mumta
A1 Malik, Mohsan
A1 Miller, Michael
A1 Deshmukh, Rajesh
YR 2024
UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/17/6/e259477.abstract
AB Poppers maculopathy is a complication of alkyl nitrate (poppers) inhalation. It presents with non-specific symptoms and variable signs, which can make it difficult to diagnose. We present a case of coexisting cataract and poppers maculopathy in a patient. He had vague visual symptoms that were attributed entirely to his cataract and he went on to have cataract surgery. Suboptimal postoperative visual acuity and normal clinical examination triggered further investigation with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), after which poppers maculopathy was diagnosed. We highlight the importance of performing OCT in the preoperative assessment of a cataract patient, especially where the cataract is mild and may not fully account for symptoms. The patient showed complete visual recovery on drug cessation despite ongoing maculopathy on OCT scans.