[Multimodal imaging of a case of acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis]

Abstract

Background: Acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis (ASPPC) is a rare manifestation of ocular syphilis. We report on multimodal imaging including ophthalmoscopy, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), fluorescein angiography (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (IA) of a case diagnosed with ASPPC.

Case: A 45-year-old man who was positive for human immunodeficiency virus presented with a 2-week history of visual loss in the right eye.

Clinical findings: Ophthalmoscopy showed a unilateral yellowish lesion involving the macula. SD-OCT revealed absence of the photoreceptor inner segment ellipsoid as well as an absent external limiting membrane, and nodular elevations of the retinal pigment epithelium layer at the macula. Late IA demonstrated punctate hypofluorescent dots in diffuse hyperfluorescent area corresponding to the macular lesion. Serologic tests were positive for syphilis and the patient was treated with intravenous penicillin G. Visual acuity improved with treatment from 20/100 to 20/16 and the retinal appearance returned to normal. There was completely restored stratification of the outer retina after therapy.

Conclusion: In the present case of ASPPC, the SD-OCT imaging demonstrated characteristic abnormalities including RPE nodularity which showed hypofluorescent dots on late IA.