ABSTRACT
Purpose: To study the clinical presentation and treatment outcome of epidemic retinitis (ER) during pregnancy. Methods: This is a retrospective, observational chart review of pregnant patients diagnosed with ER from January 2014 to February 2023. Demographic details, month of pregnancy at the onset of ocular symptoms, history of present illness, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcomes were studied. Results: In 9 years, ER was seen in 86 females, of whom 12 (13.9%) were pregnant. Twenty?one eyes of those 12 patients were studied. Most of the patients presented in the sixth month of pregnancy (range: 5–9 months, mean: 6.3 months). Physicians diagnosed viral exanthematous fever in six, typhoid in three, and suspected rickettsia in one patient. Medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) was performed in two patients before presentation. Weil–Felix test was positive in five, Brucella in one, WIDAL in three, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID?19) IgG and dengue IgG in one patient each. Oral antibiotics were given in five patients (two post?medical termination of pregnancy [MTP]) for the retinitis. All except four received oral steroids. Mean presenting corrected distant visual acuity (n = 21) was 20/125 (range: 20/20–20/20,000), which improved to (n = 18) 20/30 (range: 20/20–20/240). Macular edema (n = 11) resolved in 33.18 days (range: 20–50 days), and retinitis (n = 13) resolved in 58 days (range: 30–110 days). Ocular and systemic examination of newborn was possible in two and the babies were normal. Conclusion: ER is seen commonly at the beginning of the third trimester. Lack of antibiotics may delay the resolution of retinitis. Ocular health needs to be assessed in larger series to conclude absence of retinal involvement in newborns.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To study the impact of the novel coronavirus disease?2019 (COVID?19) pandemic on incidence, seasonal variation, clinical presentation, and disease outcome of epidemic retinitis (ER) and to compare clinical outcomes with positive and negative COVID?19 serology. Methods: This is a retrospective, observational study conducted at a tertiary eye care hospital from August 2020 to June 2022. A graph of ER cases against the month of presentation was compared with the graph of the COVID?19 pandemic in the same region. Cases presented before COVID?19 vaccination, with positive COVID?19 serology (Group 1) were compared with cases with negative serology (Group 2). Results: One hundred and thirty?two cases of ER were seen. The least number of cases were seen during and immediately after the peak of the pandemic (May 2021–August 2021). COVID?19 serology was positive in 13 (22 eyes)/60 (21.6%) unvaccinated cases. Along with COVID?19, positive serology for other ER etiologies was seen in 5/13 cases (38.4%). All patients received oral doxycycline with/without steroids. Groups 1 and 2 included 22 and 21 eyes of 13 cases each. Macular edema resolved in 43.6 and 32 days in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Retinitis resolved at 1 month in both groups. Corrected distant visual acuity was 20/50 and 20/70 at the presentation, which improved to 20/20 and 20/25 in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Mean and median follow?up was 6 months and 4.5 months, respectively, in both groups. No complications or recurrences were seen. Conclusion: No significant impact of the COVID?19 pandemic on ER was observed
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The objective was to study the positivity of the Weil–Felix test (WFT) in epidemic retinitis (ER) during the course of the disease. Methods: This is a retrospective, observational case series of patients diagnosed with ER and presented to a tertiary eye care hospital in south India. Patients with positive WFT at the presentation, and who underwent a follow?up WFT during or after the resolution of ER were studied from September 2019 to March 2022. Patient’s demographics, timings of clinical presentation and resolution, and investigation details with a special focus on WFT positivity and its duration were noted. Results: Sixteen patients were studied. Patients presented after 5 weeks of the fever (range: 2?12 weeks, median: 4). After 1?2 months, WFT was still positive in eight patients (50%). Only in one patient titers increased after 1 month, while in others, the titers decreased (n = 11) or remained the same (n = 4). Repeated tests in those patients (n = 6) after 3?4 months turned negative. Resolution of ER was seen at 1.35 months (range: 1?3 months) after the presentation. The mean duration for WFT to turn negative was 2 months from the presentation (range: 1?4 months) or 3.2 months of the fever (range: 1.5?6 months). Conclusion: In contrast to the reported physician’s observation of increasing titers of WFT after rickettsial fever, ophthalmologists may observe decreasing WFT titers in ER. The clinical resolution of ER may precede the normalization of WFT. Follow?up WFT titers should be studied in larger series in confirmed cases of rickettsial?ER to validate the affordable and readily available WFT in India
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To identify factors other than macular edema and retinitis location responsible for poor visual outcomes in epidemic retinitis (ER). Methods: A retrospective, observational, comparative study. Eyes with corrected distant visual acuity (CDVA) 20/200 or worse at resolution formed Group A. Eyes with central macular thickness (CMT) 600 ?m or worse and retinitis within 1500 ?m to foveal center at the presentation, but improved to CDVA 20/200 or better at the resolution formed Group B. The patient’s history, clinical presentation, imaging, and treatment outcomes were studied and the factors responsible for the final visual outcomes were compared in both groups. Results: Groups A and B included 25 eyes each. The mean CDVA at the presentation was 20/400 (range: 20/125–20000) and 20/320 (range: 20/80–20000), and mean CMT at the presentation was 948.5 ?m (range: 520–1553) and 912.2 ?m (range: 615–1250) in Groups A and B, respectively. All eyes except 1 (Group A) had retinitis lesions within 1500 ?m of foveal center. The mean CDVA at the resolution was 20/400 (range: 20/200–20/20000) and 20/40 (range: 20/20–20/80) in Groups A and B, respectively. Older age, male gender, diabetic status, delayed presentation, poor presenting CDVA, bilaterality, presence of keratic precipitates, disk pallor, retinal thinning, and subfoveal deposits had a statistically significant association, whereas the absence of skin rash, ellipsoid zone loss, negative WIDAL, Weil?Felix test, and delayed doxycycline therapy or use of steroids without doxycycline had a statistically insignificant association with poor visual outcomes. Conclusion: Apart from presenting CMT and location of retinitis, multiple demographic, clinical, and imaging factors can be implicated for poor visual outcomes