Retinal vein occlusion with cerebral infarction in a preterm neonate: a case report

BACKGROUND: Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a common disease that causes blindness in elderly patients, and cerebral infarction is also a severe disorder impairing the health of individuals. Both diseases are not common in neonates and are related to thrombosis. To date, only one case of simultaneous occurrence of RVO with intracranial haemorrhage in a full-term neonate has been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A preterm neonate was diagnosed with cerebral infarction and RVO. Retinal haemorrhage and macular oedema were detected in the left eye after the onset of ipsilateral stroke. Although the retinal conditions in this case resolved spontaneously without ocular treatment, the long-term effect on visual function is still unknown. CONCLUSIONS: Given that ocular fundus examinations are rarely performed in paediatric stroke patients, a screening fundus examination in these newborns with stroke might be worth considering.