Retrogeniculate Lesion of the Visual Pathways: Retinal Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Shows Evidence of Transsynaptic Retrograde Degeneration

ABSTRACT

Transsynaptic retrograde degeneration (TSRD) of the visual pathways is the loss of retinal ganglion cells occurring upstream from a posterior visual pathway lesion. We present a case of a 54-year-old woman with an epidermoid cyst at the right temporo-occipital junction, in whom retinal optical coherence tomography angiography showed a reduction of the superficial retinal capillary density consistent with TSRD. While this reduction has been described in chronic optic neuropathies and pregeniculate lesions, to our knowledge, this is the first case report showing how a reduction in the superficial retinal capillary density occurs also for a postgeniculate lesion.

KEYWORDS:

• Optical coherence tomography angiography
• transsynaptic retrograde degeneration
• superficial capillary plexus

Declaration of interest

Authors report no conflicts of interest.