A Case of Atypical Acute Retinal Necrosis Observed Using Ultra-Wide-Field Imaging

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To Report A Case Of Atypical Acute Retinal Necrosis (Arn) Observed Using Ultra-wide-field Imaging. CASE SUMMARY: A 50-year-old male with recurrent oral ulcer presented with visual loss in his right eye. On the initial visit, slit-lamp examination showed inflammatory cells (3+) in the anterior chamber and vitreous of the right eye. Funduscopic examination and ultra-wide-field fundus images showed severe occlusive vasculitis with perivascular hemorrhage. No necrotic lesion was observed at the peripheral retina in the left eye. Under the impression of Behcet's uveitis, immunosuppressive therapies including oral steroid, intravenous cyclophosphamide, anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha agent and intravitreal triamcinolone were administered, but without improvement. Subsequently, a necrotic lesion appeared at the far peripheral retina in the right eye and varicella-zoster virus was identified using the polymerase chain reaction test. After the patient was diagnosed with atypical ARN, intravenous acyclovir was administered, resulting in eventual suppression of the necrotic lesion progression. Due to retinal detachment, pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil infusion was performed in the right eye. At that time, a whitish lesion at the far peripheral retina in the ultra-wide-field photography of the fellow eye was found and 3 intravitreal ganciclovir injections were administered. Finally, the whitish lesion regressed after 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: Ultra-wide-field imaging might be useful for diagnosis and follow-up of atypical ARN patients.