This article talks about the ocular manifestations in individuals with a history of cardiovascular illness. Ocular diseases such as roth spots, retinitis, embolic retinopathy, and sub-retinal abscesses are all symptoms of untreated infective endocarditis. In patients with untreated infective endocarditis, hypoperfusive, hypertensive, or “mixed” retinopathy is a common symptom. Ischemic ocular symptoms associated with giant cell arteritis can lead to irreversible vision loss. It was also mentioned that often times, the basis would depend on the size and location of retinal emboli, systemic vascular manifestations such as coronary artery disease can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from amaurosis fugax to vision loss. Myxomas, a rare cardio-oncological pathology was also mentioned, it causes vision loss due to obstruction of the central retinal artery. What I love about this article is that it highlights how high clinical suspicion can aid in the early detection and management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. It wasn’t until then that I got to find out that our visualization could also get affected when we get cardiovascular diseases.

Window to the circulatory system: Ocular manifestations of cardiovascular diseases – PubMed

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32340480/

The changes in the cardiovascular system are associated with ocular manifestations, often as a consequence of pathological alteration in the ocular vasculature. The ease of visualization of these retinal changes makes the eye a window to the cardiovascular system. Certain congenital cardiac defects …