Lipemia retinalis with different therapeutic responses: A report of two cases

Abstract

Lipemia retinalis is characterized by retinal blood vessels that are creamy white in color and is considered to be directly correlated to serum triglyceride levels. It is a rare retinal manifestation, with typical serum triglyceride levels above 2500 mg/dL required for its expression. We report two cases of lipemia retinalis with hypertriglyceridemia who presented with different retinal pictures during a 5-year follow-up. One showed a normalization of retinal vessels even though the serum triglyceride level was still far more than 2500 mg/dL (4660 mg/dL), but the other had persistent creamy white discoloration despite decreases in serum triglyceride level to below 2500 mg/dL (1031 mg/dL). This suggests that the absolute serum triglyceride level may not be the sole determinant of the typical retinal manifestation. In spite of this, early detection that leads to timely treatment will assist in prevention of severe ocular and systemic vascular complications.

Keywords

• hypertriglyceridemia
• lipemia retinalis
• retina