Acute multifocal retinitis

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the clinical presentation, ophthalmoscopic and fluorescein angiographic findings, and natural history of 14 eyes in nine otherwise healthy, young-to-middle-age adults with idiopathic, acute, multifocal retinitis.

Methods: A retrospective review of the clinical and photographic records of nine patients.

Results: Five of the nine patients reported a flu-like illness 1 to 2 weeks before the onset of visual symptoms. Ophthalmoscopic findings included mild vitritis (11 of 14), mild optic nerve edema (seven of 14), macular star (two of 14) or localized neurosensory retinal detachment (two of 14) caused by adjacent focus of retinitis, and small branch-artery occlusion (two of 14). Fluorescein angiography showed early blocking hypofluorescence with late staining hyperfluorescence of all areas of retinitis. In patients with optic nerve edema, the disk showed late leakage. Specific tests for collagen vascular disorders, as well as systemic syphilis and toxoplasmosis titers, were negative in all patients. Five of six patients with histories of cat exposure tested negative for systemic Bartonella henselae antibodies. One patient with a history of cat exposure refused testing. Clinical courses were self-limited, with complete return of vision without treatment in all but one eye, which developed a juxtafoveal scar and localized traction retinal detachment in an area of prior retinitis.

Conclusions: Idiopathic acute multifocal retinitis should be considered in any otherwise healthy, young-to-middle-age adult with acute loss of vision in the presence of multifocal retinitis, particularly when accompanied by an antecedent flu-like illness. Patients with idiopathic acute multifocal retinitis usually have favorable clinical course.