Purpose: To describe the first known case of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-related complication in an adult.
Methods: Case report.
Results: A 34-year-old man awaiting a lung transplant for interstitial lung disease was connected to an ECMO circuit as a bridge to lung transplant, with a drainage catheter attached to his right internal jugular vein. Shortly after he was cannulated, he developed blurred vision in his right eye and was found to have a progressively worsening bullous exudative retinal detachment. After receiving a lung transplant and getting decannulated from ECMO, his bullous detachment rapidly improved. The patient's clinical course as well as his ophthalmic testing showed findings inconsistent with alternative diagnoses such as central serous chorioretinopathy. His findings were best explained as a complication of ECMO cannulation.
Conclusion: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may be associated with bullous exudative retinal detachment in rare cases where there is a possible anatomical or physiological predisposition.