SPOTTED FEVER GROUP RICKETTSIA RETINITIS IN A TRAVELER TO AFRICA
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Published on: October 11, 2022
Renaud Duval1, Pauline T Merrill
1*Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; †Department of Ophthalmology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois; and ‡Illinois Retina Associates, Chicago, Illinois.
Purpose:
To describe a case of rickettsial retinitis in a traveler returning from Africa.
Method:
Case description.
Results:
A 67-year-old woman returning from an excursion in the jungles of Africa presented with a 2-day history of floaters and decreased vision in the right eye. In the two preceding weeks, she had experienced fever, malaise, a black eschar on the right elbow, and a rash on her extremities. Examination revealed panuveitis with a solitary, white retinal lesion adjacent to a retinal vessel in the posterior pole of each eye. Extensive diagnostic workup revealed a positive serology for rickettsial antibodies. Her treatment consisted of a course of oral doxycycline.
Conclusion:
Rickettsial retinitis is an emerging ocular infection in several endemic areas. This case description constitutes the first report of spotted fever group rickettsial retinitis in a traveler to Africa.
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