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Increased Retinal Vessel Tortuosity Associated With Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Children
Duygu Yalinbas1, Ayca Komurluoglu2, Erman Bozali1
1From the Department of Ophthalmology, Sivas Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Sivas, Turkey.
Insights
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) can cause ocular symptoms in children, with conjunctival hyperemia being most common. Retinal vessel tortuosity is a key fundus finding, necessitating awareness for prompt diagnosis and management.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Crimeyan-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe tick-borne viral illness.
- Ocular manifestations in pediatric CCHF cases require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the spectrum of ocular symptoms and ophthalmologic findings in children diagnosed with CCHF.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study including children with confirmed CCHF diagnosis.
- Comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations were performed during hospitalization.
Main Results:
- Twenty-four children (mean age 12.4 years) were analyzed.
- Conjunctival hyperemia was the most frequent ocular finding (50%).
- Fundus abnormalities, including dilated retinal veins (8.3%) and tortuous retinal vessels (29.1%), were observed in 37.4% of patients.
Conclusions:
- Increased retinal vessel tortuosity is a notable fundus finding in pediatric CCHF.
- Ophthalmologists and pediatricians should recognize these ocular signs for timely CCHF diagnosis and treatment.
Background:
To evaluate the ocular symptoms and findings of children diagnosed with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF).
Methods:
In this prospective study, children diagnosed with CCHF who underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination during the hospitalization period were included.
Results:
Twenty-four children with a mean age of 12.4 ± 3.6 years were included study. The most common ocular finding was conjunctival hyperemia and was observed in 50% of patients. Nine (37.4%) children had abnormalities in fundus examination. Two (8.3%) of them had dilated retinal veins, and 7 (29.1%) had tortuous retinal vessels. No significant difference was found between mild to moderate and severe disease groups in terms of ocular symptoms and ophthalmologic examination findings (P > 0.05, for all).
Conclusions:
The increased retinal vessel tortuosity was detected as a fundus examination finding in children with CCHF. Both ophthalmologists and pediatricians should be aware of the various ocular manifestations of CCHF for rapid diagnosis and management.
