Bilateral central retinal vein occlusion associated with multiple myeloma

PURPOSE: To report a case of simultaneous bilateral central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) associated with multiple myeloma. METHODS: A 65-year-old woman had sudden, painless loss of vision in both eyes for 20 days. Ophthalmologic examination revealed bilateral CRVO. Appropriate medical workup was conducted, and multiple myeloma was diagnosed as the underlying cause. RESULTS: Clinical support and chemotherapy effectively controlled paraprotein production, leading to improvement of both systemic and ocular alterations. CONCLUSIONS: Many conditions have been noted to be associated with CRVO. Based on a Medline search, this is the first report of simultaneous bilateral CRVO as the first manifestation of multiple myeloma, illustrating the need for a primary care ophthalmologist to be involved in the basic assessment for associated underlying diseases in retinal disorders.