Purpose: To present a case of Valsalva retinopathy occurring after yoga in a patient without a clear predisposing condition. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed. Results: A 36-year-old woman presented with a 2-day history of a "blob," hazy vision, and floaters in her left eye. She was performing a backbend during yoga but denied being in a headstand position. The visual acuity (VA) was 20/20-2 OS. Ophthalmoscopy showed a retinal hemorrhage inferior to the optic disc in the left eye, which was confirmed on imaging. One month later, ophthalmoscopy and imaging showed almost complete resolution of the hemorrhage with a VA of 20/20+2 OS. Conclusions: This case of Valsalva retinopathy did not involve a predisposing condition, headstand positioning, or breathing exercises. Therefore, when clinicians encounter young, healthy patients with Valsalva retinopathy, they should consider exposures to activities such as yoga as potential risk factors.
Keywords: Valsalva; Valsalva retinopathy; retina; retinal hemorrhage; yoga.
© The Author(s) 2023.