Progression of transsynaptic retinal degeneration with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

PURPOSE: To illustrate the progression of retrograde transsynaptic retinal degeneration using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). OBSERVATIONS: A 60 year-old man with a stroke was followed over a 17-month period using SD-OCT of the macula, ganglion cell layer (GCC), and retinal nerve fiber layer. Transsynaptic retinal degeneration progressed over this time. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Retrograde transsynaptic retinal degeneration may occur in patients with homonymous visual field loss caused by post-geniculate neurologic disease. This is best detected as homonymous thinning of the retina, corresponding to the pattern of visual field loss, using SD-OCT of the GCC and macula. The retinal changes occur at a variable time following the onset of neurologic disease.