Unilateral acute retinal necrosis occurring 2 years after herpes simplex type 1 encephalitis.
Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) syndrome is known to occur occasionally in association with or shortly after herpetic encephalitis. We describe a patient with unilateral ARN occurring 2 years after herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 encephalitis. A 49-year-old man presented with unilateral visual loss. He had a history of HSV-1 encephalitis 2 years previously, and had been successfully treated without a subsequent recurrence. The ophthalmologic findings were all consistent with the ARN syndrome. The same type 1 HSV was identified from ocular fluid as was identified from the patient's cerebrospinal fluid 2 years ago. There was no evidence of a recurrence of encephalitis. This case suggests that following encephalitis retinal neurons may function as a reservoir for latent HSV-1, that can be reactivated to cause ARN in situ several years later.
Kim
Changkook
C
Department of Ophthalmology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea.
Yoon
Young H
YH
D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications*; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006561:Herpes Simplex; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015882:Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D013997:Time Factors