Endothelial Involvement in Monocular Mpox Keratitis: In Vivo Confocal Microscopy Approach

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and endothelial involvement in a case of Mpox virus keratitis by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).

This is a case report.

A 35-year-old man presented with redness, photophobia, pain, tearing, and a low visual acuity of 0.09 (decimal) in the left eye with a 6-week history of Mpox and corneal trauma. Previous testing of blood, interdigital skin lesions, and conjunctival and eyelid margin swabs confirmed the presence of Mpox by polymerase chain reaction. Biomicroscopy displayed superficial stromal infiltrates with a continuous but irregular epithelium. IVCM revealed the presence of pseudoguttata, loss of defined cell boundaries, infiltration of inflammatory cells in the endothelial layer, endothelial ridges, and precipitated pigmented granules, consistent with endotheliitis. After this episode, the patient had 4 reactivations, also treated with topical corticoids and oral tecovirimat 600 mg twice a day for 2 weeks. On the fourth reactivation, this treatment was extended to 4 weeks. On the last visit, the patient presented a visual acuity of 0.5 with disciform keratitis and reduced endotheliitis signs. The endothelial cell density remained normal during the follow-up (2763 ± 376 cell/mm 2 at baseline and 2795 ± 238 cell/mm 2 at the last visit). Polymegathism and pleomorphism showed altered values during the follow-up.

Patients with an altered corneal epithelial barrier could suffer Mpox endotheliitis, like other DNA viruses, before disciform keratitis appears. IVCM is a useful tool for the early detection of endotheliitis and for describing its evolution, improving patient care.