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Multimodal Volumetric Retinal Imaging by Oblique Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy oSLO and Optical Coherence Tomography OCT
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Multimodal Imaging of a Unique Transitory Finding in Ocular Syphilis.
James P Winebrake1, Dawn Chirko1, Thanos Papakostas2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Journal of Vitreoretinal Diseases
|November 14, 2024
Summary
Ocular syphilis can cause unique outer retinal microcysts, visible with optical coherence tomography. These transitory lesions may offer insights into treponemal disease
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Syphilis is a complex systemic infection with diverse ocular manifestations.
- Chronic syphilitic posterior uveitis can lead to secondary complications like macular neovascularization.
Observation:
- A 52-year-old male with chronic syphilitic posterior uveitis developed secondary macular neovascularization.
- Treatment included systemic penicillin, topical steroids, and intravitreal bevacizumab.
Findings:
- Multimodal imaging revealed bilateral transitory outer retinal microcysts on optical coherence tomography.
- These microcysts exhibited an appearance distinct from other degenerative retinal diseases.
Implications:
- The findings suggest retinal pigment epithelial disruption and photoreceptor rearrangement due to chronic inflammation.
- The transient nature of these lesions may provide insights into localized retinal responses to treponemal infections.
