Branch retinal vein occlusion in the right eye and retinal hemorrhage in the left in a patient with classical tsutsugamushi disease

Purpose: To report branch retinal vein occlusion and retinal hemorrhages associated with tsutsugamushi disease. Methods: Case report of a 60-year-old woman who complained of fever, chills, headache, lymphadenopathy, and blurred vision in the right eye following an insect bite to the lower right forehead. Results: Serological findings showed elevated titers for the strains of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Ophthalmologic examination disclosed bilateral conjunctival injection, flame-shaped hemorrhage in her right fundus, and scattered hemorrhage in her left fundus. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated dye leakage and dilation of capillaries. Conclusions: Branch retinal vein occlusion associated with classical tsutsugamushi disease, as demonstrated in our patient, may be rare. Jpn J Ophthalmol 2001;45:108-110 (C) 2001 Japanese Ophthalmological Society.