Eye findings of diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis and multiple choroidal infiltrates associated with neural larva migrans due to Bbaylisascaris procyonis.
OBJECTIVE
To report childhood infection with Baylisascaris procyonis (raccoon round worm) manifesting as diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis (DUSN) and choroidal infiltrates in association with neurologic disease (neural larva migrans).


METHODS
Observational case series, one with eye manifestations of DUSN, the other with choroidal infiltrates, both with severe neurologic degeneration.


RESULTS
Indirect immunofluorescence assays on serum and cerebrospinal fluid were positive for B. procyonis in one and serially positive and increasing in the other. Both children had a history of pica and raccoon exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
Baylisascaris procyonis infection is associated with two cases of severe neurologic degeneration with ocular lesions: DUSN and choroidal infiltrates. Although B. procyonis is known to cause DUSN, these cases indicate that concomitant ocular migration may accompany neural larva migrans. These are the third and forth cases in the US literature of neural larva migrans due to B. procyonis with eye findings.
Mets
Marilyn Baird
MB
Division of Ophthalmology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA. mbmets@nwu.edu
Noble
A Gwendolyn
AG
Basti
Surendra
S
Gavin
Patrick
P
Davis
A Todd
AT
Shulman
Stanford T
ST
Kazacos
Kevin R
KR
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D017191:Ascaridida Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D001199:Ascaridoidea / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007815:Larva Migrans / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D012173:Retinitis / Q000469:parasitology*
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth