Optical coherence tomography in a case of bilateral neuroretinitis

A 42-year-old man had fever, chills, and bilateral visual loss. Visual acuity was markedly subnormal OU and ophthalmoscopy disclosed optic disc swelling with retinal thickening extending into the macula OU, findings consistent with neuroretinitis. Fluorescein angiography revealed optic disc leakage and submacular accumulation of dye OU without retinal vascular leakage. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed outer plexiform layer retinal edema and subfoveal detachments. There was evidence of active human immune deficiency virus and cytomegalovirus infections. Several weeks after multidrug therapy, sequential OCT scans documented resolution of the outer plexiform edema and submacular detachments in parallel with improved visual acuity. The OCT findings support the theory that submacular detachments in neuroretinitis result from diffusion of fluid from the optic disc to the outer plexiform layer and through the outer limiting membrane to the subretinal space.