Bilateral Acute Retinal Necrosis Treated With Antivirals and Corticosteroids

We report on the case of a Hispanic male with bilateral acute retinal necrosis (BARN), whose disease was managed with intravenous acyclovir, topical prednisolone, topical atropine, intravitreal ganciclovir, oral valacyclovir, and oral prednisone. The oral corticosteroid was added to his treatment re...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cureus 2023, Vol.15 (10), p.e47427-e47427
Main Authors: Ramirez Marquez, Estefania, Santiago, Alejandra, Mendez, Israel, Santiago, Jan C, López-Fontanet, José J, Garcia, Noraliz, Oliver, Armando L
Format: Report
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We report on the case of a Hispanic male with bilateral acute retinal necrosis (BARN), whose disease was managed with intravenous acyclovir, topical prednisolone, topical atropine, intravitreal ganciclovir, oral valacyclovir, and oral prednisone. The oral corticosteroid was added to his treatment regimen eight days after his initial presentation. The 55-year-old patient presented with a two-week history of bilateral blurred vision. His medical history was pertinent for remote varicella and herpes zoster (the latter limited to the forehead). His best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was counting fingers in both eyes (OU). His examination was remarkable in OU for grade 3+ cells, pharmacologically dilated pupils, and grade 2+ vitreous cells. The patient's fundus was remarkable in OU for optic-nerve swelling, vitreous condensation, ghost vessels, and retinitis patches. Given the clinical and ancillary testing results, an assessment of BARN was made. The patient received acyclovir treatment initially, and systemic steroids were introduced eight days later. He ultimately experienced significant clinical improvement.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.47427