Atypical presentation of central retinal artery occlusion.

Dear Editor, Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) typically presents with a retinal “cherry red spot”. In CRAO, infarction of the retinal nerve fi bre layer renders the retina opaque. The fovea, where this layer is absent, retains its normal orangered colour due to perfusion from the underlying choroidal vessels, resulting in the appearance of the “cherry red spot”. Retinal survival time has been shown to range from 0 to 105 minutes.1 If the embolus gets dislodged within this time, retinal ischaemia can occur but to a milder and limited severity. We describe 2 cases of limited CRAO highlighting the need for awareness of atypical presentations where the “cherry red spot” is absent.