Bilateral Acute Retinal Necrosis: Clinical Features and Outcomes in a Multicenter Study

Purpose: To describe clinical features and outcome in bilateral acute retinal necrosis (BARN). Methods: Observational retrospective longitudinal review of ocular findings. Results: Thirty eyes of 15 patients (age 44.1???15.8). Delay of involvement between eyes was 57.2???105.2?months (median 3, range 0.5?360). Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 was the most frequent (20 eyes, 66.6%), followed by HSV-2 (five eyes, 16.7%) and varicella zoster virus (VZV, four eyes, 13.3%). Visual acuity worsened in 7 (23%) eyes, improved in 4 (13%), and remained stable in 19 (63%). Major complications included retinal detachment (11 eyes, 36%), optic atrophy (11 eyes, 33%), proliferative vitreoretinopathy (four eyes, 13.3%), neovascular glaucoma (four eyes, 13.3%), phthisis bulbi (three eyes, 10%). Symptoms-to-referral average time was 2.7???1.0?weeks (range 1?4). Conclusions: In our study BARN was associated with severe visual outcome and high rate of ocular complications. Although BARN is a rare disease, the course is aggressive, regardless prompt referral in tertiary-care uveitis centers.