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Unusual presentation of more common disease/injury
CASE REPORT
Occlusion of the central retinal artery in Plasmodium falciparum malaria
  1. Himadri Choudhury,
  2. Bhavik Panchal,
  3. Shreyansh Doshi and
  4. Avinash Pathengay
  1. Vitreo-Retina and Uveitis Services, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Bhavik Panchal, drbhavikpanchal{at}gmail.com

Abstract

A 40-year-old woman presented with sudden painless diminution of vision in left eye. The best corrected visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/400 in the left eye. The vision loss occurred 3 days after the onset of fever with chills and rigour. Rapid diagnostic test and peripheral blood smear examination revealed Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The left eye fundus showed a pale disc with marked attenuation of arterioles. A detailed systemic evaluation including cardiovascular, haematological and angiographic assessments was performed which did not reveal any abnormality. A diagnosis of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) associated with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria was made. In this communication, we report that acute loss of vision in a patient with P. falciparum malaria, CRAO needs to be ruled out.

  • ophthalmology
  • retina
  • intensive care
  • macula

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2019-230137

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    Footnotes

    • HC and BP contributed equally.

    • Contributors HC: initial preparation of the entire manuscript and compilation of contributions from other authors and reviewed the requirements and guidelines for submission and designed the template accordingly. BP: contributed in establishing the diagnosis and management of the patient as a retina consultant, extensive literature search of similar cases, obtaining consent from the patient, writing the case presentation, revision of the manuscript, citation management, editing of images. SD: contributed in establishing the diagnosis and management of the patient as a retina consultant, extensive literature search of similar cases. AP: served as the chief of the division and supervised all the authors, set up timeline for submission, planning the submission to BMJ, reviewed the requirements, critical revision of the article at every stage, drafted the take-home messages, gave final approval of the version to be submitted.

    • Funding This research was funded by Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation.

    • Competing interests None delared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Patient consent for publication Obtained.