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INTRODUCTION: Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a severe eye disease demanding swift treatment to prevent blindness. Early action involving antiviral medications and corticosteroids is crucial for optimal visual outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We present an ARN case series showcasing treatment experience and results. METHODOLOGY: Patients diagnosed with ARN based on SUN Working Group 2021 criteria were included; all underwent comprehensive eye exams, PCR analysis, and imaging. RESULTS: Eight patients were studied; PCR confirmed ARN in six. Induction treatment, either oral valacyclovir (5/8) or intravenous acyclovir (3/8), lasted 10-14 days. Maintenance included oral valacyclovir (6/8), oral valganciclovir (2/8) for six months, along with intravitreal ganciclovir. Visual outcomes were similar for oral and intravenous therapies; poor baseline acuity and macular involvement tend to result in a worse final acuity. CONCLUSIONS: Swift treatment is vital to ARN management. Our findings emphasize effective treatment strategies' role in visual prognosis. ABBREVIATIONS: ACV: Acyclovir; BCVA: Best Corrected Visual Acuity; CMV: Cytomegalovirus; EBV: Epstein Barr Virus; FTA-ABS: Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test; HSV 1-2: Herpes simplex virus 1-2; HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus; IV-ACV: Intravenous- Acyclovir; PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction;Tg: Toxoplasma gondii; VZV: Varicella Zoster Virus; VCV: Valacyclovir; VDRL: Venereal disease research laboratory test.

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BACKGROUND: Due to the guarded prognosis of acute retinal necrosis (ARN), it is relevant to develop a strategy to early categorize those patients in a higher risk of worse outcomes. The purpose of this study is to describe clinical features and predictive factors for retinal detachment (RD) in patients with ARN. METHODS: Retrospective observational case series of 34 adult patients (38 eyes) with ARN examined between January 2005 and July 2015 in the National Eye Institute (Bethesda, USA), the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Chile (Santiago, Chile), and APEC (CDMX, Mexico). RESULTS: A total of 16 males and 18 females with a mean age at presentation of 44.5 ± 16.8 years were included. Twenty-seven patients (79.4%) received intravenous acyclovir as first-line treatment, and 7 patients received either oral antiviral (4 patients) or oral plus intravitreal antiviral (3 patients). All subjects were treated with prednisone, with a mean initial dose of 57.7 ± 16.3 mg per day. Seventeen patients (50.0%) developed retinal detachment. An association of retinal detachment with age at onset was observed (p = 0.04), with patients younger than 50 years presenting a higher risk (OR = 14.86, p = 0.0009). Additionally, patients in this higher risk group had more inflammation in both anterior chamber and vitreous (p = 0.04 and 0.03, respectively). No other predictive factor for retinal detachment was found in the present study. CONCLUSIONS: RD represents an important complication in patients with ARN. Younger patients may be at higher risk of this complication, possibly secondary to the presence of a higher level of inflammation.

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Acute Retinal Necrosis (ARN) is a potentially devastating form of Uveitis. Antivirals are the mainstay treatment for this syndrome. In this letter, we question the current oral Valacyclovir dosage, based on the experience we had with a recent unresponsive ARN case.

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RESUMEN La retinitis necrotizante aguda, es una necrosis retinal de todas las capas de la retina. Se caracteriza por necrosis fibrinoides de la pared de los vasos y oclusión vascular. Se presentó un caso de una paciente de 42 años de edad, con pérdida brusca de la visión del ojo derecho, con una semana de evolución. Al examen oftalmológico se observó haze vítreo 2+, edema sucio del disco óptico, con borramiento de todos sus bordes. Presencia de exudación blanca-amarillenta retiniana extensa, en toda la periferia y área ecuatorial asociada a hemorragias intraretinianas. Se realizó además del examen fundoscòpico toma de muestra de humor acuoso para reacción en cadena de la polimerasa y angiografía fluoresceínica. Los signos fundoscópicos de la paciente, así como las anomalías detectadas en la angiografía fluoresceínica sugirieron el diagnóstico clínico de síndrome de necrosis retinal aguda. Se confirmó el diagnóstico etiológico viral, semanas después por el resultado de polimerasa. Se practicó la terapéutica médica y fotocoagulación laser focal retiniano correspondiente, asociado a cirugía del desprendimiento de retina mixto mediante vitrectomía pars plana y se logró la re aplicación de la retina (AU).

ABSTRACT The acute necrotizing retinitis is a retinal necrosis of all the retinal layers. It is characterized by fibrinoid necrosis of the vases' wall and vascular occlusion. The case presented is the case of a female patient aged 42 years, who suffers sudden loss of the left eye vision, with a week of evolution. At the ophthalmologic examination it was observed a 2+ vitreous haze, dirty edema of the optic disk, with effacement of all of its margins. There it was an extended white-yellowish retinal exudation in the entire periphery and the equatorial area, associated to intra-retinal hemorrhages. Besides the funduscopic examination, it was taken a sample of the aqueous humor for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescein angiography. The patient's funduscopic signs, and also the anomalies detected in the fluorescein angiography suggested the clinical diagnosis of acute retinal necrosis syndrome. After several weeks, the viral etiologic diagnosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. It was practiced the correspondent medical therapeutics and focal retinal laser coagulation associated to mixt retinal detachment through pars plana vitrectomy; the retina reapplication was achieved (AU).

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RESUMEN La retinitis necrotizante aguda, es una necrosis retinal de todas las capas de la retina. Se caracteriza por necrosis fibrinoides de la pared de los vasos y oclusión vascular. Se presentó un caso de una paciente de 42 años de edad, con pérdida brusca de la visión del ojo derecho, con una semana de evolución. Al examen oftalmológico se observó haze vítreo 2+, edema sucio del disco óptico, con borramiento de todos sus bordes. Presencia de exudación blanca-amarillenta retiniana extensa, en toda la periferia y área ecuatorial asociada a hemorragias intraretinianas. Se realizó además del examen fundoscòpico toma de muestra de humor acuoso para reacción en cadena de la polimerasa y angiografía fluoresceínica. Los signos fundoscópicos de la paciente, así como las anomalías detectadas en la angiografía fluoresceínica sugirieron el diagnóstico clínico de síndrome de necrosis retinal aguda. Se confirmó el diagnóstico etiológico viral, semanas después por el resultado de polimerasa. Se practicó la terapéutica médica y fotocoagulación laser focal retiniano correspondiente, asociado a cirugía del desprendimiento de retina mixto mediante vitrectomía pars plana y se logró la re aplicación de la retina.

ABSTRACT The acute necrotizing retinitis is a retinal necrosis of all the retinal layers. It is characterized by fibrinoid necrosis of the vases' wall and vascular occlusion. The case presented is the case of a female patient aged 42 years, who suffers sudden loss of the left eye vision, with a week of evolution. At the ophthalmologic examination it was observed a 2+ vitreous haze, dirty edema of the optic disk, with effacement of all of its margins. There it was an extended white-yellowish retinal exudation in the entire periphery and the equatorial area, associated to intra-retinal hemorrhages. Besides the funduscopic examination, it was taken a sample of the aqueous humor for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescein angiography. The patient's funduscopic signs, and also the anomalies detected in the fluorescein angiography suggested the clinical diagnosis of acute retinal necrosis syndrome. After several weeks, the viral etiologic diagnosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. It was practiced the correspondent medical therapeutics and focal retinal laser coagulation associated to mixt retinal detachment through pars plana vitrectomy; the retina reapplication was achieved.

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Se describen las características principales de la necrosis retinal aguda, la relación fisiopatológica con su principal diagnóstico diferencial, la necrosis retinal externa progresiva. Exponemos las diferencias clínicas y paraclínicas de ambas enfermedades, con base en las cuales construimos un sistema de clasificación que las contempla como un espectro continuo de enfermedad dependiente del estado inmunológico.

The main characteristics of acute retinal necrosis, the pathophysiological connection with the main differential diagnosis and progressive outer retinal necrosis are described. We analize the clinical and paraclinical differences of both diseases, based on which we built a classifi cation system that take them into a continuous spectrum dependent of the immune state.

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Purpose: Clinical features in a case of acute retinal necrosis are described as well as its diagnostic approach and response to early treatment. Methods: This is a descriptive and retrospective study case report of a 26 year old male patient who arrived to the emergency room with a three day history of sudden visual loss in the right eye (RE). At initial evaluation a visual acuity of hand movements in the RE, 20/15 in the left eye (LE) and a right relative afferent pupillary defect were found. Fundoscopy revealed profuse soft exudates and hemorrhages involving posterior pole, inferior hemiretina and superotemporal periphery. Infectious workup and fluoresceinic angiography were made and positive serologies for herpes virus types 1 and 2, without HIV, were found. A diagnosis of acute retinal necrosis was made and treatment with intravenous valgancyclovir for two weeks and intra-vitreous triamcinolone for severe vasculitis, was given. Then a 3 months treatment with oral antiviral agents was prescribed. Results: Patient’s evolution showed improvement with treatment and at two and a half months of follow up, visual acuity was 20/50 in the right eye, normal slit lamp examination, tonometry of 12 mm Hg and fundoscopy improved when compared to initial pictures. Conclusions: A high index of suspicion is needed for diagnosing ARN taking into account clinical findings. Prompt intravenous and intra-vitreous treatments are needed to achieve good clinical and functional outcomes and to avoid central nervous system complications.

Objetivo: Describir un caso de necrosis retiniana aguda, las características clínicas, el enfoque diagnóstico y la respuesta al tratamiento. Método: Se realiza un estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo tipo informe de caso en un paciente de sexo masculino, 26 años de edad, que consulta al Servicio de Urgencias con historia de pérdida visual del ojo derecho (OD) de 3 días de evolución. Al examen de ingreso se encontró una agudeza visual del OD de movimiento de manos y defecto pupilar aferente, y 20/15 en el ojo izquierdo (OI). En el estudio del fondo de ojo derecho se encontraron exudados blandos abundantes y hemorragias que comprometen todo el polo posterior, la hemirretina inferior y la periferia supero temporal. En los exámenes para clínicos se evidenciaron serologías positivas para herpes tipo 1 y 2 en ausencia de VIH y a la angiografía con fluoresceína cambios vasculares con zonas de no perfusión. Se llega al diagnóstico de necrosis retiniana aguda y se decide manejar con valganciclovir endovenoso durante dos semanas, triamcinolona intravítrea y fotocoagulación retiniana con laser para el manejo de la vasculitis severa y zonas isquémicas; luego se continuó con antivirales orales por 3 meses. Resultados: Después de 2 meses y medio de seguimiento, hay una agudeza visual de 20/50 del OD, un examen biomicroscópico normal, presión intraocular de 12 mm Hg y el fondo de ojo muestra mejoría del cuadro al compararlo con las fotos iniciales.Conclusiones: Al diagnóstico de NRA se llega con la sospecha clínica, de acuerdo con los signos del examen; se requiere un manejo endovenoso e intravítreo oportuno, para lograr buenos resultados tanto clínicos como funcionales y evitar complicaciones a nivel del sistema nervioso central.

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La necrosis retinal aguda (NRA) es una afección grave que amenaza la visión. Se describe en adultos, en especial aquellos profundamente inmunocompro-metidos, como consecuencia de la reactivación de virus del grupo herpes. Presentamos un paciente de 4 años de edad, con una leucemia de alto riesgo, que durante una quimioterapia intensa desarrolló una varicela con compromiso visceral, incluyendo la retina, lo que le causó ceguera unilateral. En el humor vitreo se detectó ADN de virus varicela-zoster, pese al tratamiento con aciclovir. La visión del ojo contralateral permaneció indemne.

Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a serious condition that can impair vision. It mostly occurs in adult patients, especially those severely immunocompromised, in association with a reactivation of a herpes virus infection. We present a 4 years old patient with high risk acute leukemia, whom during a course of intense chemotherapy acquired chickenpox with visceral involvement that affected the retina, causing unilateral blindness. Varicella-zoster virus was detected by PCR in the vitreous humor, in spite of previous acyclovir treatment. The contralateral vision remained undamaged.

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La necrosis retinal aguda (NRA) es una afección grave que amenaza la visión. Se presenta en adultos, en especial aquellos profundamente inmunocompro-metidos, como consecuencia de la reactivación de virus del grupo herpes. Se revisan la entidad clínica de la NRA, su diagnóstico nosológico y etiológico, como el manejo recomendado actualmente.

Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a serious condition that can impair vision. It mostly occurs in adult patients, especially those severely immunocompromised, in association with a reactivation of a herpes virus infection. Clinical and ophtalmological features of ARN and recommended diagnostic and management strategies are reviewed.

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