Rickettsial neuroretinitis: A report of 2 cases.

PURPOSE

The authors present two cases of neuroretinitis caused by infection.

OBSERVATIONS

Case 1 is a 24-year-old male who presented with 2 months of vision loss. Case 2 is a 38-year-old female who presented with 4 weeks of eye pain and vision loss. Examination of both patients revealed neuroretinitis characterized by optic disc swelling with macular exudates, and subsequent serological analysis was positive for . Both patients responded favorably to treatment with oral doxycycline and prednisone.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE

Given the potential for neuroretinitis to cause permanent vision loss, the presence of acute vision loss, optic disc edema, and macular exudates should prompt an evaluation for Rickettsial disease in endemic areas, even in the absence of systemic symptoms or known history of a tick bite.