title: Final Diagnosis in Patients Referred with a Diagnosis of Neuroretinitis.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine final diagnosis of patients referred with a diagnosis of neuroretinitis. A retrospective study of 40 patients with optic disc oedema with macular star (ODOMS) referred with a diagnosis of neuroretinitis was conducted. The final diagnosis was neuroretinitis in 26 patients (65%), with most of these patients (96.1%) having unilateral involvement. Main underlying aetiologies included cat scratch disease (30.8%), rickettsiosis (19.2%), and idiopathic neuroretinitis (23.1%). The remaining 14 patients (35%) had ODOMS that had been mistaken for neuroretinitis. Of these patients, 42.8% were found to have a previously unknown malignant systemic hypertension in association with bilateral ODOMS. Neuroretinitis, usually unilateral, should be differentiated from other causes of unilateral or most often bilateral ODOMS that may masquerade as neuroretinitis, mainly malignant systemic hypertension. This is essential to avoid inappropriate work-up and management and subsequent potential visual or systemic morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Rim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kahloun
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khairallah-Ksiaa
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nesrine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abroug
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Yahia
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaouali
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Bechir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jelliti
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khairallah
keywords: Cat scratch disease; macular star; neuroretinitis; optic disc oedema; rickettsiosis; systemic hypertension