ObjectiveTo observe the multimodal imaging features of the eyes with acute syphilitic post-polar squamous chorioretinitis (ASPPC) at different stages of disease.MethodsA retrospective case study. From July 2016 to March 2019, 8 patients (11 eyes) of ASPPC patients diagnosed in the ophthalmological examination of Yunnan Second People's Hospital were included in the study. Among them, there were 7 males (10 eyes) and 1 female (1 eye); the average age was 48.7±8.9 years; the average course of disease was 13.24 ±11.30 months. All patients underwent fundus color photography, infrared photography (IR), FAF, FFA, OCT, OCT angiography (OCTA). According to the stage and characteristics of the disease, the affected eyes were divided into acute phase and absorption phase, with 7 and 4 eyes respectively. We observed the color fundus images of ASPPC, IR, FAF, FFA, OCT, OCTA image characteristics of different disease stages.ResultsIn the acute phase, the posterior pole subretinal yellow-white squamous lesions, neuroepithelial detachment, and yellow-white exudates were observed in fundus color photography; uneven infrared reflections can be seen in the lesion area by IR; the posterior pole was round or scaly with strong autofluorescence in FAF, the range was larger than the fundus color photography; FFA arteriovenous stage lesions showed fuzzy weak fluorescence, the fluorescence gradually increased with time, the late stage showed a round-shaped strong fluorescence, surrounded by a weak fluorescence ring, and the area with thick exudation was covered by fluorescence; the neuroepithelium of the diseased area was detached, the uniform strong reflection signal can be seen in it by OCT. In the absorption phase, fundus color photography showed the yellow-white scaly lesions under the posterior retina absorption, and the pigment was slightly depleted; IR showed the mottled infrared reflection in the lesion area was significantly reduced compared with the acute phase; FAF showed the posterior spot-like strong autofluorescence, including "leopard spot-like changes" 3 eyes; FFA showed mottled fluorescent staining in the lesion, and no fluorescein leakage or accumulation; OCT showed needle-like protrusions in the RPE layer, and the outer membrane and ellipsoid zone were unclear; OCTA showed weakened choroidal capillary blood flow signal, the signal was missing in some areas.ConclusionsIn the acute phase of ASPPC, the posterior pole subretinal shows yellow-white squamous lesions, neuroepithelial detachment, yellow-white exudate, FFA shows late fluorescein leakage in the lesion area; in the absorption period, the fundus shows yellow-white lesions have been absorbed, and FFA shows fluorescence dyed without any leakage. OCT indicates that the RPE, outer membrane and ellipsoid zone are damaged to varying degrees. OCTA indicates that the choroid of the diseased area had weakened blood flow signal.
In recent years，there are more and more cases of retinal infectious diseases in China，however，the diagnosis and management of those patients are still big challenges for our ophthalmic clinicians. It is our top priority to improve their capacity of early diagnosis for those diseases. We need to know the relationship between retinal infectious diseases and systemic infections, their predisposing factors. We also need to be familiar with the typical as well as atypical clinical features of those diseases. Vitreoretinal surgery already becomes a powerful tool to make diagnosis of retinal infectious diseases now；we need to make full use of this tool combined with modern technologies of microbiology, cytology, immunology and molecular biology to provide objective scientific evidences for the early diagnosis of retinal infectious diseases.