Clinical observations and outcomes of dengue-associated retinopathy at a tertiary eye hospital in Nepal.

INTRODUCTION

Clinically, the dengue virus can cause hemorrhagic complications or ocular inflammation. This virus can cause anterior uveitis to panuveitis. During acute phase, subconjunctival hemorrhage is a relatively common finding. Dengue associated maculopathy is one of the most common posterior segment findings that include both retinal hemorrhages, cotton wool spots, and macular edema.

OBJECTIVE

To identify clinical features and visual outcome of dengue related retinopathy in patients at a tertiary eye hospital.

METHODOLOGY: A retrospective observational case series was conducted at the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Nepal focusing on all instances of dengue fever associated with retinal complications during the outbreak from August to October 2022.

RESULTS

Thirty-six patients were enrolled in the study, out of them, 18 (50%) were male and 18 (50%) were female. The average age ± SD of the patients was 9.0 ± 17 years (ranged 14 to 76 years). Thirty-five (97.2%) of the patients reported a decrease in vision and among them 25 (71.4%) experienced unilateral vision loss, while 10 (28.6%) exhibited bilateral involvement.

CONCLUSION

The ocular manifestations of dengue-associated eye disease range from vague symptoms to serious, perhaps blinding ocular involvement. Due to the recent increase in dengue outbreaks and the global spread of the dengue virus, all eye care providers should be aware of the many ocular signs of dengue-associated eye illness.