Central retinal vein occlusion associated with Bartonella henselae infection.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report the clinical features and treatment course of a case of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) as the initial sign of ocular Bartonella henselae (B. henselae) infection. OBSERVATION A 36-year-old male was evaluated for unilateral vision loss. He denied prodromal symptoms but reported prior exposure to fleas. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/400 in the left eye. Clinical examination revealed a CRVO with atypical features including significant peripapillary exudates and peripheral vascular sheathing. Laboratory testing revealed elevated B. henselae IgG titers (1512) with no abnormalities on hypercoagulability testing. The patient was treated with doxycycline and aflibercept with an excellent clinical response and improvement in BCVA to 20/25 in the left eye two months later. CONCLUSION: CRVO is a rare but sight-threatening complication of ocular bartonellosis and can be the presenting sign of infection, even in the absence of cat exposure or prodromal symptoms.