Valsalva-like retinopathy spontaneously occurred after ocular massage

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe a case of Valsalva-like retinopathy that occurred after ocular massage. Case Presentation: A healthy 44-year-old Japanese female had massaged her eye with strong pressure several times. Subsequently, she noticed a loss in the left central vision. A left-eye fundus examination showed a dense preretinal hemorrhage located under the internal limiting membrane at the posterior pole and a mild vitreous hemorrhage. We performed a neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminium-garnet laser membranotomy to perforate the internal limiting membrane. Her best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.01 to 1.0. No retinal vascular abnormalities in the macular area were found. Conclusion: Ocular massage can cause Valsalva-like retinopathy.