The medical records revealed 28 patients with post fever retinitis during the study duration. Twenty four eyes of 16 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Nine (56.25%) patients were men. The mean age at presentation was 44.38 ± 17.28 years (range: 19 to 74 years). Mean interval between fever and onset of symptoms was 4.13 ±2.13 weeks. Eight (50%) patients had bilateral involvement. Two patients had systemic hypertension and 2 patients had both systemic hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The etiology of fever was evaluated during the febrile illness in 9 patients. Two patients were diagnosed with dengue fever, one with typhoid fever and etiology of fever was not established in rest of the cases. Considering the less number of patients with established etiology, statistical analysis of its significance on outcome was not possible.
At presentation, the median best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 6/60 (range: 1/60 to 6/6, mean: 0.29 ± 0.35 in decimal notation). BCVA was ≤ 6/60 in 13 eyes (54.16%). On fundus photograph, the mean area of retinitis within the macula was 0.20 ± 0.19 (range: 0 to 0.63) and that of hard exudates was 0.015 ±0.02 (range: 0 to 0.10). Perivascular plaques were seen in 6 (25%) eyes.
Eight patients were treated with oral steroids alone (prednisolone 1gm/kg/day tapered over 6-8 weeks), 8 were treated with intravenous methyl prednisolone 1 gm for 3 days in addition to oral steroid therapy. One eye of a patient with bilateral PFR was treated with intravitreal triamcinolone in view of poor response to oral and intravenous steroids.
The median follow up duration was 17 weeks (range: 4 to 220 weeks). Fourteen eyes (58.3%) showed progressive resolution of retinitis with treatment. Initial progression of retinitis for 1-2 week followed by resolution was noted in 8 (33.3%) eyes and recurrence of retinitis after completion of steroid therapy was seen in 2 (8.3%) eyes. The median final BCVA was 6/9 (range: 1/60 to 6/6, mean: 0.59 ±0.40 in decimal notation). BCVA was ≤6/60 in 6 (25%) eyes and better than 6/12 in 16 (66.6%) eyes. Optic disc pallor was seen in 12 (50%) eyes.
There was no statistically significant correlation between age, gender, systemic illness, interval between fever and retinitis, area of retinitis, area of hard exudates, initial worsening of retinitis, different treatment modalities and final BCVA. The OCT parameters at presentation and its correlation with final BCVA are summarised in table 3.The OCT parameters at final visit and its correlation with final BCVA are summarised in table 4.
By univariate linear regression, presence of inner retinal hyperreflectivity (IRH) within 500 microns of centre of fovea, central macular thickness (CMT), height of subretinal fluid (SRF) at fovea, disorganisation of retinal inner layers (DRIL) within 1000 microns of centre of fovea, hyperreflectivity of papillomacular bundle (PMB), hyperreflectivity of SRF at presentation had a statistically significant effect on final BCVA. Unadjusted coefficients with p value of univariate linear regression is reported in Table 3. By multiple linear regression, height of SRF at fovea had a statistically significant effect on final BCVA. After adjusting for other variables, for every 1 unit increase in height of SRF at fovea, the value of final BCVA decreased by 0.001 unit.
By univariate linear regression, DRIL within 1000 micron of centre of fovea, presence of subfoveal deposit, height and length of subfoveal deposit, extent of ellipsoid zone (EZ) loss at fovea, presence of vitreoretinal (VR) interface abnormality and presence of disc pallor at final visit had a statistically significant effect on final BCVA. Unadjusted coefficients with p value of univariate linear regression is reported in Table 4. By multiple linear regression, subfoveal deposit height and extent of EZ loss at fovea had a statistically significant effect on final BCVA. After adjusting for other variables, for every 1 unit increase in extent of EZ loss, the value of final BCVA decreased by 0.0001unit. After adjusting for other variables, for every 1 unit increase in subfoveal deposit height, the value of final BCVA decreased by 0.004 unit.
Figure 4 and 5 depicts two cases of PFR.