HYPERAUTOFLUORESCENT SPOTS IN ACUTE OCULAR TOXOPLASMOSIS: A New Indicator of Outer Retinal Inflammation. Issue 12 (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mathis, Thibaud; Delaunay, Benoit; Favard, Catherine; Denis, Philippe; Kodjikian, Laurent
• Is Part Of: Retina. Volume 40:Issue 12(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: ocular toxoplasmosis -- fundus autofluorescence -- retinitis -- inflammation -- multiple evanescent white dot syndrome; Retina -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Retinal Diseases; Vitreous Body; 617.735
• DOI: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000002759
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0275-004X

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the fundus autofluorescence patterns in acute ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) and to correlate these findings with other imaging. Methods: A retrospective multicenter case series of 27 eyes from 27 patients with acute onset of posterior OT was conducted. Multimodal imaging including fundus autofluorescence was performed at diagnosis and during follow-up. Results: All OT lesions were hypoautofluorescent on fundus autofluorescence imaging. Fourteen patients (51.8%) also had hyperautofluorescent spots around the active foci that disappeared after retinal photobleaching. Although these spots were not seen on early phase of indocyanine green angiography, they become hypofluorescent in the late phase without choriocapillaris flow impairment on optical coherence tomography angiography. On B-scan spectral domain optical coherence tomography, spots corresponded to outer retinal alterations in all cases. All hyperautofluorescent spots disappeared during follow-up as acute OT resolved. Younger patients and those with more posterior inflammatory symptoms (vasculitis and/or papillitis) were more frequent with the presence of hyperautofluorescent spots. Conclusion: Ocular toxoplasmosis may trigger a transient outer retinal disruption in eyes with marked inflammatory symptoms of the younger patients. Abstract : We describe autofluorescence findings in acute ocular toxoplasmosis. The major findings are the presence of hyperautofluorescent spots in half of patients, which originate from the outer retina layers. These transient spots are associated with other inflammatory symptoms and might be a new clinical sign of outer retinal inflammation.