Abstract
Purpose:To report the clinical presentation and outcomes in patients with Valsalva retinopathy.Methods:This was a retrospective case series of patients diagnosed with Valsalva retinopathy between June 1, 2010, and May 31, 2020. Clinical notes, operative reports, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography images were reviewed.Results:This study comprised 58 eyes of 58 patients. The most common causes were lifting (34.4%), vomiting (20.6%), straining (20.6%), and coughing (17.2%). Mean best-corrected visual acuity at diagnosis was 20/163. The most frequently involved vitreoretinal compartment was the subhyaloid space (42.3%) followed by the intraretinal (32.7%), intravitreal (23.1%), and subretinal (13.4%) spaces. Mean best-corrected visual acuity of all patients was 20/59 at 3 months, 20/48 at 6 months, and 20/22 at 1 year. Mean time to clearance of hemorrhage on clinical examination was 99.0 & PLUSMN; 18.7 days in patients who underwent observation and 4.5 & PLUSMN; 3.5 days after surgery in patients who received pars plana vitrectomy.Conclusion:Valsalva retinopathy is generally associated with a favorable visual prognosis. Most eyes perform well with observation although pars plana vitrectomy may be indicated in patients requiring rapid resolution of hemorrhage.