Ocular manifestations in the acute phase of leptospirosis.
OBJECTIVE
To study the ocular manifestations during the acute phase of leptospirosis and their incidence in hospitalized patients due to systemic complications, and to verify the importance of routine ophthalmologic care in these cases.


METHODS
Twenty-one patients, 20 males and 1 female, with clinical and laboratory (ELISA IgM) diagnoses of leptospirosis were subjected to ophthalmologic examination.


RESULTS
We observed conjunctival hyperemia in 18 patients (85.7%), increased retinal venous caliber in 12 patients (57.1%), optic disc redness in 12 patients (57.1%), subconjunctival hemorrhage in four patients (19.0%), optic disc edema in one patient (4.8%), retinal vasculitis in one patient (4.8%), retinal hemorrhage in one patient (4.8%), hard exudates in one patient (4.8%), and papillitis in one patient (4.8%). No anterior chamber reaction was found.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed a high incidence of several ocular manifestations in the acute phase of leptospirosis. Despite the systemic severity and high incidence of ocular disorders in the acute phase of leptospirosis, the short-term visual outcome of these patients was good.
Department of Ophthalmology, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil. martinsmarcos@hotmail.com
M G
MG
Martins
K T
KT
Matos
M V
MV
da Silva
M T
MT
de Abreu
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000382:microbiology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D015994:Incidence; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010211:Papilledema / Q000382:microbiology; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014895:Weil Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007075:Immunoglobulin M