Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42422832›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026

Acute retinal necrosis presenting exudative retinal detachment: a case report.

Han Wang, Ying Zhu, Ai Xuan Cheng, Chao Zhang

Erratum issuedAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Han WangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cornea and Ocular Surface Diseases, Liaoning Provincial Optometry Technology Engineering Center, Dalian Third People's Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
Ying ZhuDepartment of Ophthalmology, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cornea and Ocular Surface Diseases, Liaoning Provincial Optometry Technology Engineering Center, Dalian Third People's Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
Ai Xuan ChengDepartment of Ophthalmology, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cornea and Ocular Surface Diseases, Liaoning Provincial Optometry Technology Engineering Center, Dalian Third People's Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
Chao ZhangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cornea and Ocular Surface Diseases, Liaoning Provincial Optometry Technology Engineering Center, Dalian Third People's Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a severe, rapidly progressive viral retinitis that is commonly complicated by rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in its late stage. However, the presentation of ARN with exudative retinal detachment (ERD) in the early phase is exceptionally rare, particularly when caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV) in an adult patient. This report highlights this atypical presentation, which initially occurred without definite evidence of retinal necrosis, posing a diagnostic challenge. Case presentation: A 43-year-old woman presented with acute blurred vision, eye redness, and ocular pain in the left eye of 3 days' duration. Initial clinical examination revealed ciliary congestion, vitritis, optic disc swelling, and a non-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Optical coherence tomography demonstrated optic disc and macular edema with intraretinal cystic spaces and a serous retinal detachment temporal to the fovea. Given the atypical presentation, the patient was initially treated with corticosteroids. Two days later, characteristic peripheral retinal necrotic lesions appeared, prompting immediate aqueous humor sampling. Metagenomic testing confirmed VZV infection. The patient was then treated aggressively with systemic intravenous acyclovir, intravitreal ganciclovir injections, and systemic corticosteroids. This regimen led to rapid resolution of the retinal detachment and complete resolution of the retinal lesions, with stable visual acuity maintained at 1 month of follow-up. Conclusion: Exudative retinal detachment is a rare manifestation of early-stage ARN. In uveitis patients presenting with ERD who show a poor response to initial anti-inflammatory therapy, viral infection (particularly VZV) should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Aggressive combined systemic and intravitreal antiviral therapy, alongside corticosteroids, is critical for achieving favorable anatomical and visual outcomes in these challenging cases.

Indexed as

acute retinal necrosisantiviral treatmentdifferential diagnosisexudative retinal detachmentvaricella zoster virus

Identifiers

PMID42422832
PMCPMC13341449

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