https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0336-7767
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Francesca F Norman, Rogelio López-Vélez, Oihane Martin, Marta Suarez de Figueroa, Diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis secondary to Toxocara spp. infection in a Venezuelan migrant, Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 31, Issue 6, August 2024, taae073, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taae073
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Extract
A 23-year-old Venezuelan migrant was referred following a 5-day history of sudden onset painful unilateral visual loss in her left eye.
Born in a rural area of Venezuela, she had arrived in Spain two years previously and had not travelled since. The patient had no relevant past medical history but had adopted a 5-month-old cat, 3 months previously, from an animal protection society (in the process of vaccination and deworming when acquired).
Ophthalmological findings included optic neuritis, vitritis, retinitis and exudative macular detachment in the left eye. On optical coherence tomography a vermiform lesion (1–2 mm length) was observed arising from the optic disc into the vitreous cavity in several images, suggestive of a live nematode larva (Fig. 1). There were no signs of inflammation in her right eye. The visual acuity was counting fingers in the left eye and 20/20 in the right eye.
Serum biochemistry and a full blood count were normal (no eosinophilia). Toxocara spp. serology was positive (ELISA IgG 3.99; cut-off > 1.1) and other diagnostic tests were all negative (Figure footnote).
