Prevalence of chorioretinal scars associated with coccidioidomycosis

A retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence and spectrum of chorioretinal involvement among individuals with previously documented systemic coccidioidomycosis. Fifty-four subjects were given a modified ocular examination, and their medical records were abstracted for clinical classification of the disease and its correlation with ocular findings. Five of 54 subjects with documented past infection with Coccidioides immitis had characteristic inactive peripheral chorioretinal scars. No relationship between the presence of scars and the extent of disease was evident; typical scars were found in patients who had experienced mild respiratory tract infection as well as in more extensively disseminated disease. We conclude that dissemination of C immitis to the eye can occur during benign pulmonary coccidioidomycosis as well as with more severe systemic disease, and the prevalence of chorioretinal lesions is more common than isolated case reports would indicate.