Retinal Manifestations of Mediterranean Spotted Fever

Abstract

The authors studied the incidence, type and systemic relationship of the retinal findings observed by ophthalmoscopy in Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) in a consecutive series of 34 cases. It is found that retinal vasculitits either arterial and/or, more frequently, venous is present in 55.9% of the cases. Branch vein retinal thrombosis appeared as complication of such small vessel vasculitis in 1 case. Although frequent, the retinal findings were asymptomatic in all cases but the retinal vein thrombosis one, and were not significatively related to or were predicted by other systemic parameters of severity of the disease. Because of its frequency, retinal vasculitis might be considered as an important clinical sign of MSF in endemic areas.

Pattern of uveitis in a referral centre in Tunisia, North Africa

“…Mediterranean spotted fever was found to be commonly associated with symptomatic or more frequently asymptomatic retinal involvement. 40,41 It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intraocular inflammation in a patient with fever and/or skin rash, living in, or travelling back from an endemic area, especially during spring or summer.…”

Clinical Risk Factors Underlying the Occurrence of Retinal Vein Occlusion

“…BRVO can also occur as a complication of a local or systemic vasculitis. The disease has been reported as a complication of retinal vasculitis in cases of both familial and spotted Mediterranean fever [35] . BRVO can be a result of direct infiltration of the eye leading to venous obstruction [6] .…”

Letters to the Editor

“…Parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome (Pinna et al 1997), corneal ulcers (Alio et al 1992), uveitis (BlochMichel et al 1984), retinal vasculitis (Alio et al 1987), and endophthalmitis (Mendevil & Cuartero 1998) have also been described. In the case reported here, the patient presented iridocyclitis, chorioretinitis, and sectorial retinal vasculitis and haemorrhages 20 days after being bitten by a tick.…”