Ultra-wide-field fundus imaging of acute retinal necrosis: clinical characteristics and visual significance.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) with ultra-wide-field imaging (UWFI) and analyse their visual significance. METHODS: Clinical and UWFI records of patients diagnosed with ARN at a single centre over 2 years were reviewed. RESULTS: In 38 eyes of 35 patients, the clinical manifestations of ARN on UWFI included patchy (12 eyes) or fan-shaped necrotic lesions (26 eyes), retinal arterial obliteration (38 eyes), vitritis (38 eyes), retinal venous haemorrhage (19 eyes), and vitreous haemorrhage (6 eyes). Retinal detachment was associated with the number of retinal quadrants involved (ß = 2.145, P = 0.005). LogMAR BCVA at last follow-up was associated with logMAR BCVA at presentation (ß = 0.473, P = 0.004) and retinal detachment (ß = 0.367, P = 0.020). CONCLUSION: UWFI is useful for detecting retinal lesions in ARN, especially peripheral lesions or through opaque media, and provides valuable information concerning visual prognosis.

Acute retinal necrosis by herpes simplex virus type 1: an unusual presentation of a primary infection.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) can affect the central nervous system causing meningitis, encephalitis and, rarely, acute retinal necrosis. We present a case of a 46-year-old man, previously healthy complaining of a 5-day persistent headache and sudden loss of vision of his left eye that progressed to the right. We started ceftriaxone, methylprednisolone and acyclovir for suspected encephalitis with vasculitis. HSV-1 was identified in vitreous and aqueous humour. Therapy with acyclovir was maintained and two intravitreous boluses of foscarnet were administered, without improvement. Usually being a benign infection, HSV can, in rare cases like this, have catastrophic effects in the optic tract.

Human encephalitis complicated with bilateral acute retinal necrosis associated with pseudorabies virus infection: A case report.

We report the case of a patient who presented with viral encephalitis and a pulmonary infection complicated with bilateral acute retinal necrosis after direct contact with diseased swine. Next-generation sequencing of the cerebrospinal fluid and vitreous humor detected pseudorabies virus (PRV) simultaneously. Intravenous acyclovir and dexamethasone treatment improved the symptoms of encephalitis, and vitrectomy surgery with silicone oil tamponade was used to treat the retinal detachment. This case implies that PRV can infect humans; thus, self-protection is imperative when there is contact with animals.

Acute retinal necrosis in a patient with remote severe herpes simplex encephalitis.

A 60-year-old man with a history of severe herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) encephalitis 2 years prior presented with acute onset of visual loss in the left eye. Dilated funduscopic examination showed retinitis and occlusive vasculitis with retinal necrosis. PCR of the vitreous fluid was positive for HSV-1, and he was diagnosed with acute retinal necrosis (ARN) due to HSV-1. The patient was treated with intravenous acyclovir and intravitreous foscarnet for 2 weeks, followed by high dose oral valacyclovir for 2 weeks. He was subsequently placed on planned life-long suppressive valacyclovir. His case demonstrates that acute visual loss concomitant with or subsequent to HSV-1 encephalitis warrants suspicion of ARN. Prompt therapy with effective antiviral medication is necessary to reduce the risk of sight-threatening complications. Chronic suppression with oral antiviral therapy after ARN is recommended to prevent involvement of the contralateral eye, though there is no consensus on the duration and dosage of antivirals.

Response to anti-VEGF therapy in macular oedema secondary to acute retinal necrosis. / Respuesta a antiangiogénicos en el edema macular secundario a necrosis retiniana aguda.

A 55 year-old female patient with unilateral Acute Retinal Necrosis (ARN) developed macular oedema (MO) after the resolution of her necrosis. The macular oedema (MO) was managed and controlled for four years with intravitreal anti-VEGF injections. Anti-VEGF therapy could be useful for the treatment of MO secondary to ARN, the same as for treating MO resulting from panuveitis, where its efficacy has been already demonstrated.

[The relationship between optical coherence tomography performance and visual acuity of acute retinal necrosis].

Objective: To analyze the relationship between optical coherence tomography(OCT) performance and visual acuity of patients with acute retinal necrosis (ARN). Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on the patients diagnosed with ARN at the ophthalmology department of Peking union hospital during October 2011 and May 2016. Fourteen patients (15 eyes), 9 males and 5 females, whose anterior and posterior inflammation disappeared and the retinal necrosis lesion in the fundus of the eye subsided were included. The mean age was (41.6±12.2) years. All patients underwent careful examinations including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp microscope, indirect ophthalmoscope, color fundus picture, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and OCT (results of their last consultations). Results: BCVA: 8 eyes were increased, 2 eyes were unchanged and 5 eyes were decreased at the last visit; light perception (LP) 1 eye, finger count (FC) 1 eye, 3 eyes of 0.01 to 0.1, 6 eyes of 0.15 to 0.25. The inflammatory reaction in the anterior segment of 14 eyes disappeared, while the inflammatory reaction of the remaining 1 eye was relieved. The fundus lesions of all 15 eyes disappeared. According to OCT results: five eyes (5/15) exhibited normal macula area, among the 5 eyes, 4 eyes are of 0.15 to 0.25 visual acuity, and 1 eye is of 0.5 visual acuity;macular epiretinal membrane is present in three eyes (3/15), of which the visual acuity is 0.02, 0.25 and 0.3 respectively macula edema is present in three eyes (3/15), among the 3 eyes, 1 eye (visual acuity of 0.01)showed thickening of neurosensory retina, cystoid change of fovea and several fluid dark areas, the other 2 eyes (visual acuity of 0.02 and 0.5 respectively) showed small diffuse fluid dark area in the neurosensory retina;atrophy of neurosensory retina and absence of IS/OS was found in four eyes (4/15), among the 4 eyes, the visual acuity of 3 is below 0.01, and the other 1 eye is of 0.08 visual acuity. Conclusions: The OCT performance of stationary phase of ARN tends to be positively correlated with the visual acuity of patients. The prognosis of visual acuity of the patients whose OCT results showed atrophy of neurosensory retina and absence of IS/OS is poor. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 369-374).

Sequential retinal necrosis secondary to varicella zoster in unrecognised long-standing HIV infection: patient safety report.

A retired woman with left ophthalmic shingles of over 2 years' duration attended with bilateral vision loss and systemic upset. Acute retinal necrosis with detachment was detected on right fundus examination. Cataract in left eye precluded funduscopy. Ocular ultrasonography revealed fibrotic retinal detachment in the left eye. MRI brain and orbits also showed signals of retinal detachment. No abnormal MRI signal within the optic nerve or brain was found. Varicella zoster virus was detected in ocular aqueous and blood samples. High-dose intravenous acyclovir was administered. HIV test was positive with a very low CD4 count. Antiretroviral medications were prescribed. There was no recovery of vision. She was certified as blind, and social services were involved in seeking to provide alterations to her home in view of her severe disability. This case highlights the importance of suspecting HIV in patients with severe or chronic ophthalmic shingles. Images and implications for clinical practice are presented.

Acyclovir resistant acute herpes simplex encephalitis associated with acute retinal necrosis: A case report and review of the literature.

A 55-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for investigation of high fever, decreased consciousness and bilateral visual impairment. His cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed pleocytosis of mononuclear cells and an increased protein concentration. FLAIR images revealed multiple high-intensity lesions in the frontal lobe, part of which was enhanced with gadolinium. Despite initiating treatment with acyclovir and corticosteroids, his consciousness and visual acuity deteriorated. Immunopathological examination of brain biopsies showed numerous herpes simplex virus type 2-positive neurons and macrophages, leading to a diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). Fundoscopic examination revealed multiple foci of retinitis with vasculopathies, and inflammation in the anterior chamber and vitreous, indicating acute retinal necrosis (ARN). Foscarnet treatment was initiated in place of acyclovir and his consciousness improved, with a slight improvement in visual acuity. ARN is typically caused by a herpes virus infection limited to the eyeball, and rarely in combination with HSE. In such cases, there is a latency of approximately 2-4 weeks between ARN and the onset of encephalitis. Our case is unique in that HSE and ARN developed simultaneously, and it highlights that there may not always be a latency between the onsets of the two disorders. Finally, foscarnet should be considered in cases of HSE and ARN with acyclovir resistance.

Progressive outer retinal necrosis-like retinitis in immunocompetent hosts.

We describe two young immunocompetent women presenting with bilateral retinitis with outer retinal necrosis involving posterior pole with centrifugal spread and multifocal lesions simulating progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN) like retinitis. Serology was negative for HIV and CD4 counts were normal; however, both women were on oral steroids at presentation for suspected autoimmune chorioretinitis. The retinitis in both eyes responded well to oral valaciclovir therapy. However, the eye with the more fulminant involvement developed retinal detachment with a loss of vision. Retinal atrophy was seen in the less involved eye with preservation of vision. Through these cases, we aim to describe a unique evolution of PORN-like retinitis in immunocompetent women, which was probably aggravated by a short-term immunosuppression secondary to oral steroids.

Delayed recurrence of acute retinal necrosis (ARN): A case series.

PURPOSE: To report five cases of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) that reactivated in the same eye or presented in the contralateral eye between two and nineteen years after the initial episode of acute retinal necrosis. CASES: Five patients with a previous history of ARN developed recurrent ARN infection following a lengthy latency period. In all five patients who initially presented with unilateral disease, four developed infection in the contralateral eye and one developed recurrent infection in the ipsilateral eye. Latency periods ranged from two to nineteen years, and final visual acuity in the affected eyes ranged from 20/30 to no light perception. Each patient was treated with antiviral medication for both the initial infection and for subsequent reactivations, but was not on long-term prophylaxis at the time of recurrent disease. CONCLUSION: Although rare, delayed onset reactivation of ARN can occur in either the same eye or contralateral eye despite adequate treatment. While contralateral spread of initial infection is fairly common, these reactivations rarely occur more than six weeks after initial infection. Currently there are no guidelines for use of prophylactic antiviral medication to prevent late recurrence of ARN.

CNS MR and CT findings associated with a clinical presentation of herpetic acute retinal necrosis and herpetic retrobulbar optic neuritis: five HIV-infected and one non-infected patients.

INTRODUCTION: This report demonstrates the spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities observed on MR imaging and CT studies in 6 patients with clinical or pathologic diagnoses of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) and retrobulbar optic neuritis (RBON-H) resulting from Herpes Zoster Virus and Cytomegalovirus. We discuss the etiologic and pathophysiologic implications regarding these findings. METHODS: Standard MR imaging sequences of the whole brain and selected high-resolution images of the orbits and globes, from 6 patients, were reviewed by three neuroradiologists for consensus interpretation of the findings. Special sequences augmenting disease were obtained in individual cases. Axial CT images were obtained from two patients using 5mm sequential slices. RESULTS: MR imaging findings showed both T2 signal brightening and contrast enhancement in one or both optic nerves, optic tracts and lateral geniculate bodies, as well as the postsynaptic optic radiations and optic cortex. Similar findings were observed in the superior colliculus, lateral midbrain and cerebellum, with multiple potential etiologic possibilities regarding pathways of dissemination. Low T2* signal (indicating magnetic field susceptibility effects) and CT hyperdensity, consistent with prior hemorrhage, were also observed in the optic tracts, optic radiations and lateral geniculate bodies. Post-contrast enhancement was observed in the meninges and Meckle's cave in one HIV negative patient. CONCLUSION: These cases demonstrate CNS imaging findings associated with RBON that are temporally-related to ARN. They support the hypothesis that RBON can either precede or follow ARN and implicate transneuronal, transsynaptic and/or transcerebrospinal fluid viral spread by the herpetic family.

[Hypertensive choroid angiography. Initial results]. / Hypertensive Aderhautangiographie. Erste Ergebnisse.

A new method for the examination of choroidal morphology and hemodynamics by SLO-ICG videoangiography under induced hypertension by ocular ophthalmodynamography is presented. In 17 normal subjects, 32 patients suffering from exudative age-related macular degeneration and 13 patients suffering from subretinal fibrosis, the arterial blood vessels of the choroid were demonstrated in detail angiographically. Perfusion pressures of posterior ciliary arteries at their entry into the eye were also estimated. In the majority of patients in each group the central retinal artery was first filled with dye; in the central 40 degrees field 5-8 posterior ciliary arteries were detected; the arterial branches of the submacular choroid were supplied by a submacular ciliary artery in more than half of the cases; however, dye filling of the submacular choroid occurred later than in the surrounding choroid during reduction of intraocular pressure. ICG fluorescence angiography is compared to other angiographic examination methods of choroidal morphology and hemodynamics.

Hemodynamic alterations in the acute retinal necrosis syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and histopathologic observations suggest a role for ischemia in the pathogenesis of the acute retinal necrosis (ARN) syndrome. Disruption of blood flow appears to occur at some level in the retina or choroid and may account for some of the major features of the syndrome. METHODS: To investigate these potential circulatory changes, color Doppler imaging (CDI) was used to quantitate blood flow velocities and vascular resistance in the central retinal, ophthalmic, and short posterior ciliary arteries in ten consecutive patients with unilateral ARN syndrome. Data were analyzed with a paired Student's t test. The unaffected fellow eyes served as controls. RESULTS: Blood flow velocities within the central retinal artery were significantly reduced in eyes with ARN syndrome compared with control eyes. In affected eyes, there was a mean reduction of 55%, 60%, and 72% in peak systolic, average, and end-diastolic velocities, respectively (P < 0.01). The calculated vascular resistance of the central retinal artery showed an upward trend, but the data fell short of statistical significance. Blood flow velocities from the ophthalmic and short posterior ciliary arteries were not significantly different compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates marked circulatory changes in the central retinal artery of eyes involved with the ARN syndrome. Although the exact mechanism and clinical significance are yet to be determined, the data support the presence of retinal arterial hemodynamic compromise in this condition.