PARACENTRAL ACUTE MIDDLE MACULOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM MALARIA.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report a case of bilateral paracentral acute middle maculopathy lesions on spectral domain-optical coherence tomography(OCT) secondary to severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. METHODS: Retrospective case report. Spectral domain-OCT, ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography, and OCT angiography were performed and analyzed. RESULTS: A 54-year-old healthy man presented with acute vision loss in both eyes few days after being diagnosed with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Ophthalmoscopic examination was unremarkable, but near-infrared reflectance imaging showed patchy hyporeflective areas located at the terminal tips of the venous branches. Corresponding spectral-domain OCT demonstrated alternating bands of hyperreflectivity involving the inner nuclear layer, consistent with skip paracentral acute middle maculopathy lesions. Optical coherance tomography angiography illustrated corresponding flow signal loss at the level of the deep capillary plexus. Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography showed peripheral retinal vein staining and capillary nonperfusion. CONCLUSION: Paracentral acute middle maculopathy may be an OCT manifestation of malarial retinopathy associated with severe Plasmodium falciparum infection.