A Case of Bilateral Retinal Hemorrhages Caused by Plasmodium Vivax Malaria.

Choy, Yoon Jung; Park, Jong Seok

doi:2010.51.4.626

J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > Volume 51(4); 2010 > Article

Case Report

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2010;51(4):626-630.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2010.51.4.626 Published online April 15, 2010.

A Case of Bilateral Retinal Hemorrhages Caused by Plasmodium Vivax Malaria.

Yoon Jung Choy, Jong Seok Park

Department of Ophthalmology, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. pjs4106@eulji.ac.kr

플라스모디움 바이박스 말라리아로 인한 양안 망막출혈 1예

최윤정ㆍ박종석

Department of Ophthalmology, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

PURPOSE
To report a case of bilateral retinal hemorrhages caused by Plasmodium vivax malaria. CASE SUMMARY: The 38-year-old male patient with cyclic high fever for 48 hours was admitted to the department of internal medicine in our hospital. He complained of decreased visual acuity of the left eye. The best corrected visual acuity was 1.0 in right eye and 0.3 in left eye. His blood hemoglobin concentration was 7.5 g/dl. Fundus examination revealed retinal hemorrhages in the posterior pole and preretinal hemorrhage in the macular area in his left eye. The peripheral blood smear confirmed Plasmodium vivax malaria. Hydroxychloroquine and Premaquine were given orally. Forty-nine days after the initial visit, retinal hemorrhages in the posterior pole and preretinal hemorrhage in the macula area occurred in his right eye. Although retinal hemorrhages in both eyes were reduced 100 days after the initial visit, the best corrected visual acuity was 0.2 in right eye and 0.4 in left eye and visual acuity did not improve. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal hemorrhages infrequently can occur by Plasmodium viviax malaria and can result in permanent visual loss.

Key Words: Plasmodium vivax;Retinal hemorrhages