Vasospastic Amaurosis Fugax

Vasospasm, the involuntary narrowing of the lumen of a blood vessel initially due to smooth muscle contraction, is generally demonstrated angiographically in our patients. Clinically, rt is commonly speculated upon more often than actually proven. Five patients with repetitive stereotypic episodes of transient monocular visual loss were observed in the throes of an attack, and two were similarly photographed, providing g raphic proof of this "vascular narrowing phenomena" we believe is vasospasm. These cases were the subject of a recent publication (1). A review of this entity follows along with some speculation as to the etiology and possible pathophysiology of vasospasm as seen in several other clinical entities.