| Titel | Retinal vascular accident in first trimester of pregnancy | 
| Doel | To highlight the need for systemic evaluation in patients with branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO). | 
| Methodes | We examined a 31-year-old, 8 weeks pregnant woman who presented at our department of Ophthalmology of the University Hospitals Leuven with complaints of a whitish spot in front of her left eye for 1 day. A thorough routine ophthalmic examination was performed and completed with autofluorescence and infrared imaging, OCT-cirrus, OCT-angiography and fluorescein angiography as well as elaborated neurologic and cardiovascular review. | 
| Resultaten | A fundoscopic exam revealed a whitish elevated zone involving the superonasal macula with a congruent hyper-reflective zone in the inner retinal layers on optical coherence tomography. Fluorescein angiography showed a branch retinal artery occlusion and OCT-angiography showed disruption of the deep capillary plexus consistent with the diagnosis of BRAO associated with paracentral acute middle maculopathy. The patient was admitted to the stroke unit and a series of tests were performed. Thrombophilia screening showed an initial low protein C, but a second sample could not confirm the deficiency. Carotid duplex showed no stenosis and a duplex sonography of the lower extremities showed no evidence for thrombosis, but a transesophageal echocardiogram showed a small patent foramen ovale with a spontaneous right-left shunt. Both acetylsalicylic acid 80mg/day and dalteparin sodium 5000IU/day were started and a closure of the PFO will be performed after completion of the pregnancy. | 
| Conclusie | It is important to perform profound neurologic and cardiovascular examination in patients with BRAO. Underlying causes should be identified and accordingly treated to prevent other ischemic events. | 
| Belangenverstrengeling | Nee | 
| Naam | STOCKMAN | 
| Initialen | AC | 
| Instituut | UZ LEUVEN | 
| Stad | LEUVEN | 
| Naam | JACOB | 
| Initialen | J | 
| Instituut | UZ LEUVEN | 
| Stad | LEUVEN | 
| Naam | LEYS | 
| Initialen | A | 
| Instituut | UZ LEUVEN | 
| Stad | LEUVEN |