A case of bilateral presumed chikungunya neuroretinitis

Indian J Ophthalmol. 2009 Mar-Apr;57(2):148-50. doi: 10.4103/0301-4738.45508.

Abstract

Chikungunya fever is a relatively rare from of vector-borne viral fever caused by chikungunya virus and spread by bites of the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito. Epidemics of chikungunya fever have been reported in the past from different parts of the world. Although the virus had been passive for quite some time, recent reports of outbreaks of chikungunya fever in several parts of Southern India have confirmed the re-emergence of this virus. Symptoms of this infection include abrupt onset of fever, chills, and headache, rash, severe joint pain, conjunctival injection and photophobia. Ocular manifestations have been recently reported with this infection. We report a case of a 48-year-old female patient, who presented with defective vision two weeks after a serology proven chikungunya infection. There was bilateral neuroretinitis with peripapillary cotton wool spots. These findings should be kept in mind as an ocular manifestation of chikungunya virus infection.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Alphavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Alphavirus Infections / drug therapy
  • Alphavirus Infections / virology*
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Chikungunya virus / genetics
  • Chikungunya virus / immunology
  • Chikungunya virus / isolation & purification*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Eye Infections, Viral / diagnosis
  • Eye Infections, Viral / drug therapy
  • Eye Infections, Viral / virology*
  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Functional Laterality*
  • Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin M / analysis
  • Middle Aged
  • Optic Neuritis / diagnosis
  • Optic Neuritis / drug therapy
  • Optic Neuritis / virology*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Prednisolone / therapeutic use
  • RNA, Viral / analysis
  • Retinitis / diagnosis
  • Retinitis / drug therapy
  • Retinitis / virology*
  • Visual Acuity

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Glucocorticoids
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • RNA, Viral
  • Prednisolone