Valsalva hemorrhagic retinopathy presenting as a rare cause of impaired vision after a general anesthetic—a case report and review of the literature

•We report a case of VHR occurring during an otherwise uneventful general anesthetic.•We review the cases of VHR coincident with an anesthetic.•Valsalva hemorrhagic retinopathy is discussed as a phenomenon, and examples of coincident events are presented.•We suggest future research to determine the incidence of VHR coincident with anesthesia.

Postoperative visual loss from any cause is potentially catastrophic. We present a case of Valsalva hemorrhagic retinopathy (VHR) as a rare cause of impaired vision after an apparently uneventful general anesthetic. Previously published cases of VHR, anesthetic related and otherwise, are reviewed and the phenomenon discussed. Although VHR is considered to be rare, the events and activities with which it is associated are relatively common, both in everyday life and in the operating room. We suggest that the occurrence of VHR after anesthesia and surgery may be more frequent than previously appreciated and make recommendations for further investigations.