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MAJOR REVIEW
Neuroretinitis - Review
Dr. Renuka Srinivasan, MS, DO, Professor
Dr. Subashini Kaliaperumal, MS, DNB, FRCS (Glasg), Senior Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Jawaharlal Institute of
Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry-605 006, India
Address for correspondence:
Dr. Renuka Srinivasan, MS, DO, Professor, Department of Ophthalmology,
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry-605 006, India
E-mail:[email protected]
Fluorescein angiography 10 days, then remain stable for several weeks before
gradual resolution occurs over 6 to 12 months. Most
Fluorescein angiography in patients with acute
patients ultimately recover good visual acuity, although
neuroretinitis demonstrates diffuse disc swelling and
some complain of persistent metamorphopsia or
leakage of dye from vessels on the surface of the disc.
nonspecific blurred vision from mild disruption of the
The retinal vessels may show staining in the
macular architecture. Most patients do not experience
peripapillary region. But the most important point to
a subsequent attack in the same eye, and only a few
note is the absence of leakage from the macular
patients develop a similar attack in the fellow eye.
vasculature.
Recurrent Idiopathic Neuroretinitis is an uncommon
condition in which repeated acute episodes lead to
Pathogenesis:
progressive and permanent visual loss.4 This disorder
The pathogenesis of neuroretinitis is obscure. It is usually affects young adults and has no predilection
related to direct involvement by an infectious process with regard to sex. The interval between attacks is quite
or inflammation leading to edema of the optic nerve variable ranging from 1 month to 9.8 years. Treatment
and cellular and fluid exudation from the inflamed area of the acute attack with either oral or intravenous
of peripapillary retina. There is abnormal permeability corticosteroids has not appeared to alter the visual
of capillaries deep within the optic disc, with no prognosis of this condition. Although the cause of
abnormality of retinal vasculature. Leakage of lipid-rich recurrent Idiopathic Neuro retinitis has not been
exudates into the adjacent subretinal space and plane elucidated, an autoimmune disorder has been proposed
of the outer plexiform layer results. With reabsorption that involves occlusive vasculitis affecting the optic disc.
of serum, lipid precipitates in a stellate pattern. Long-term immunosuppression has been tried in some
of these patients. 7
Clinical course:
Etiology: (Table 1)
Neuroretinitis is usually a self-limited disorder with
a good visual prognosis. Typically over 6 to 8 weeks, Neuroretinitis is thought to be an infectious or immune-
the optic disc swelling resolves, and the appearance mediated process that may be precipitated by a number
of the disc becomes normal or mildly pale. The macular of different agents. The common infections that cause
exudates appear late and progress over about 7 to neuroretinitis are cat-scratch disease, and the
In children, Leber’s neuroretinitis must be distinguished syndrome is primarily unilateral, although bilateral
from anterior optic neuritis and papillitis, since multiple cases have occurred. The ocular findings include visual
sclerosis occasionally develops in children with these loss, vitreous cells, optic disc inflammation and leakage,
diseases.20 A distinguishing feature is the development and transient recurrent crops of gray-white outer retinal
of macular star. In Leber’s disease, the target tissue as lesions.23 Stationary or migrating nematodes have been
suggested by Gass 21 is vascular whereas in anterior identified deep in the retina or in the subretinal space.
optic neuritis caused by demyelinating disease, the DUSN is a condition in which prompt identification and
target tissue is primarily neural. Leber’s neuroretinitis destruction of the infecting nematode can result in the
usually resolves without treatment within 6-12 weeks.19 cessation of symptoms and the preservation of good
However the macular star may persist beyond this visual acuity. If untreated, the disease progressively
period. Most patients recover good visual acuity with damages the retina and the optic nerve leading to severe
over 90% returning to 20/50 or better. Recurrences are visual loss. Laser photocoagulation of the nematode is
very rare although in bilateral cases, involvement of the treatment of choice.24 Visual acuity may not improve
the fellow eye may follow the first. Fluorescein study significantly unless the worm is killed soon after onset
demonstrates intense hyperfluorescence due to leakage of visual loss. It has been found that thiabendazole is
from capillaries within the disc. There is no leakage effective in the treatment of some patients when the
from the retinal vessels in the macula. worm cannot be found and when DUSN is accompanied
by a moderate degree of vitritis that is associated with
Idiopathic retinal vasculitis aneurysms a breakdown in the blood-retinal barrier.25 But by and
and neuroretinitis (IRVAN) large, antihelminthics have not been found to be that
effective in confirmed cases of DUSN.26 Regardless of
IRVAN syndrome is the acronym for idiopathic retinal the nature of the causative nematode, DUSN should
vasculitis, aneurysms and neuroretinitis. This syndrome always be suspected in healthy patients with unilateral
typically affects young, healthy individuals; it has a ocular signs of persistent vitritis associated with
female predominance, is usually bilateral and is not papillitis, retinal vasculitis, and multifocal lesions
associated with any systemic abnormalities. The most involving the outer retinal layers.
characteristic feature is the presence of macroaneurysms
seen as dilatations of the retinal and optic nerve head
Mutiple sclerosis
arterioles. Exudative retinopathy and capillary non-
perfusion is usually seen adjacent to retinal and optic Multiple sclerosis is one condition that is not associated
nerve head aneurysms and is concentrated in the with neuroretinitis.2 It is a well known fact that patients
peripapillary location. This condition is not a true who develop typical optic neuritis are prone to develop
neuroretinitis as there is no clinically evident multiple sclerosis but there is no similar increased
neuropathy but only late diffuse staining of the optic tendency for patients who experience an attack of
nerve head due to local vascular changes. There is little neuroretinitis.27 Thus, when a diagnosis of an attack of
role of steroids and panretinal photocoagulation is acute optic neuropathy as an episode of neuroretinitis
advocated if retinal neovascularisation occurs.22 Central rather than anterior optic neuritis is made, it
retinal vein occlusion and hypertensive retinopathy may substantially alters the neurologic prognosis in the
also have disc edema and macular star figure but have patient being evaluated. Nevertheless, there have been
associated multiple flame-shaped haemorrhages and anecdotal reports of patients with multiple sclerosis who
soft exudates. developed neuroretinitis .28
DUSN is a progressive parasitic disease affecting the Certain noninfectious and noninflammatory conditions
outer retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). This mimick neuroretinitis as they are characterised by optic
March 2006 Renuka Srinivasan - Neuroretinitis 11
Table 2. Differentiating features between Neuroretinitis and other closely resembling entities.
Neuroretinitis Papillitis Papilledema CRVO AION
VA 6/60-6/12 Light perception No visual loss Moderate to severe Moderate to severe
to 6/12 visual loss impairment
Pupillary reactions Relative afferent RAPD+ Normal Normal/RAPD+ RAPD+
pupillary defect
(RAPD+)
Laterality Unilateral, Unilateral/bilateral Always bilateral Unilateral Typically unilateral
rarely bilateral
Eye pain Nil Pain especially Nil painless painless
on upgaze
Visual fields Centrocaecal Central/ Enlarged Normal Altitudinal field
scotoma centrocaecal blind spot defects
scotoma
Color vision Severely impaired, Severely impaired, Normal Normal Diminished in
disproportionate disproportionate proportion to
to visual loss to visual loss level of v/a
Systemic symptoms Fever, rash Weakness of limbs Headache, - Headache,
vomiting jaw claudication,
polymyalgia
rheumatica
Fundus findings Disc swelling of Disc swelling rarely Disc swelling Disc edema, Pale disc edema
2D,hyperemic above 2D, venous frequently higher, macular star along
with macular star engorgement and upto 8-9D, with haemorrhages
figure haemorrhages less more venous and soft exudates
marked engorgement,
macular star may
develop
Fluorescein Leakage from disc Leakage from disc Leakage from disc Shows areas of Unequal choroidal
Angiography and peripapillary and peripapillary and peripapillary capillary non- filling in arterial
retina retina retina perfusion phase
VEP Decrease in Decrease in Normal - Decrease in
amplitude, amplitude, amplitude
increase in latency increase in latency
Specific Syphilis, cat- Multiple sclerosis - hypertension, Giant cell arteritis,
associations scratch disease, diabetes, hypertension,
Lyme’s disease glaucoma diabetes
Prognosis Good Good Good with relief Depends on initial Poor
of raised ICT visual acuity
disc swelling that may on occasion be associated with conditions. Spontaneous resolution of the disc edema
the development of a macular star figure. These and recovery of visual acuity serve as distinguishing
mimicking conditions include papilledema, anterior features of neuroretinitis from papilledema and
ischemic optic neuropathy, and infiltration of the optic ischemic optic neuropathy.
disc by tumor.14 Systemic hypertension may also produce
both optic disc swelling and a macular star figure. The Investigations: (Table 3)
disk edema and retinopathy resolves after the
hypertension is controlled.29 Optic disc swelling in Investigation into the etiology of neuroretinitis should
patients with systemic vascular disease like diabetes begin with a careful history including questioning
and hypertension can be differentiated form regarding sexually transmitted diseases, cat-scratches,
neuroretinitis by the absence of abrupt visual loss, skin rashes, tick bites, lymphadenopathy, fever, and
background retinopathy and a medical history of such flu-like illnesses. Complete physical and ocular
12 Kerala Journal of Ophthalmology Vol. XVIII, No. 1
examinations are essential. Screening with serological that requires therapy. No treatment is required in the
testing for treatable diseases such as cat-scratch disease, idiopathic group as the disease is self-limiting.
syphilis, and Lyme disease, analysis of CSF, Cat-scratch disease is usually described as a benign,
neuroimaging may be desirable in the appropriate self-limited illness. 30 Patients with neuroretinitis
setting. In the absence of a proven etiology a diagnosis associated with cat scratch disease have been treated
of Leber’s idiopathic stellate neuroretinitis may be with prednisolone, dexamethasone, clindamycin,
entertained. ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfa, or tetracycline and
all had improved vision.31,32 Doxycycline and rifampicin
VEP is useful in the setting of multiple sclerosis where
appear to shorten the course of disease and hasten
there is a latency of the P100 wave and a decrease in
visual recovery. Long-term prognosis is good, but some
amplitude. It may be abnormal in neuroretinitis. ERG
individuals may acquire a mild postinfectious optic
assesses the functional integrity of the retinal layers
neuropathy.
and hence normal in disorders involving ganglion cells
and optic nerve as in optic neuritis and neuroretinitis. Patients with neuroretinitis and secondary or late
syphilis should be treated with intravenous penicillin,
and patients with Lyme disease should also be treated
Treatment
with an appropriate antibiotic such as ceftriaxone,
Treatment of neuroretinitis depends on whether there amoxycillin, or tetracycline. Though systemic steroids
is an underlying infectious or inflammatory condition have been tried, there is no definite evidence that such
Fig 1. Neuroretinitis with vasculitis involving the Fig 2. Grade IV hypertensive retinopathy mimicking as
superotemporal vessel. Neuroretinitis.
March 2006 Renuka Srinivasan - Neuroretinitis 13
treatment alters either the speed of recovery or the 14. Duke-Elder S, Dobree JH:Diseases of the retina.
In Duke-Elder (ed); System of Ophthalmology, vol.10
ultimate outcome.19 The prognosis in most cases of
London, Henry Kimpton, 1967, pp. 126-127.
idiopathic neuroretinitis is excellent as it is self limiting. 15. Bird AC, Smith JL, Curtin VT. Nematode optic neuritis.
Am J Ophthalmol 1983; 95:480-486.
Conclusion 16. Forooghian F, Lam WC, Hopkins J, Dhanda D. Bilateral
Neuroretinitis with Peripapillary Serous Retinal
Thus in most cases, neuroretinitis represents a self- Detachments in a patient with HIV and HBV.
Arch Ophthalmol 2005; 123: 1447-1449.
limiting, benign, systemic inflammatory process with
17. Labalette P, Bermond D, Dedes V, Savage C. Cat-scratch
rarely a specific etiology being identified. The extent disease neuroretinitis diagnosed by a polymerase
of diagnostic examination should be predicted based chain reaction approach. Am J Ophthalmol 2001; 132:
on the presence or absence of associated constitutional 575-576
symptoms. Vision should be expected to recover within 18. Lesser RL, Kornmehl EW, Pachner NR, et al. Neuro-
ophthalmologic manifestations of Lyme disease.
weeks to months. Nevertheless, the ophthalmologist
Ophthalmology. 1990; 97:699-706.
should use caution in predicting ultimate visual
19. Dreyer RF, Hopen G, Gass JDM, Smith JL: Leber’s
prognosis. idiopathic stellate neuroretinitis. Arch Ophthalmol
1984;102: 1140-45.
20. Kennedy C, Carter S. Relation of optic neuritis to multiple
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