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High altitude retinopathy
From WikEM
Contents
Background
- Retinal hemorrhages are common at sleeping altitudes >16,000ft
Evaluation
Differential Diagnosis
Acute Vision Loss (Noninflamed)
- Arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
- Amaurosis fugax
- Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO)†
- Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO)†
- High altitude retinopathy
- Open-angle glaucoma
- Optic neuritis
- Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES)
- Retinal detachment†
- Temporal arteritis†
- Traumatic optic neuropathy
- Vitreous hemorrhage
- Stroke†
†Emergent Diagnosis
High Altitude Illnesses
- Acute mountain sickness
- Chronic mountain sickness
- High altitude cerebral edema
- High altitude pulmonary edema
- High altitude peripheral edema
- High altitude retinopathy
- High altitude pharyngitis and bronchitis
- Ultraviolet keratitis
Management
- Not considered an indication for descent unless vision changes are present
