Choroidal Manifestation of Systemic Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infection: A Case Series

To describe choroidal findings associated with disseminated systemic non-mycobacterial infection.

A retrospective observational case series included two patients (four eyes) with non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease. The activity of choroidal lesions was assessed by clinical examination, supported by colour fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence imaging, indocyanine green angiography, fluorescence angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography. The relationships between clinical symptomatology, choroidal findings, and systemic disease activity were evaluated.

One subject diagnosed with aortic graft infection showed positive cultures for Mycobacterium chimaera. One HIV-positive subject showed a positive saliva culture for Mycobacterium avium. At presentation, all subjects showed chorioretinal manifestation. In one patient, the lesions were active and in the other patient, the lesions appeared inactive. With activity of disseminated chorioretinitis, the lesions had indistinct, blurred borders on fluorescence angiography and indocyanine green angiography and were hyporeflective with well-defined borders on OCT imaging.

Multimodal imaging enables distinction between active and inactive lesions, thus supporting therapeutic management. Choroidal presentation of active disseminated mycobacterium infection indicates activity of systemic disease. Thus, even if the patient is not immunocompromised, an underlying systemic involvement should be ruled out.