Abstract

Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a clinical syndrome featuring severe vitritis and occlusive vasculitis characterised by full thickness necrotising retinitis. ARN is usually caused by an acute infection by either varicella zoster virus or herpes simplex virus, rarely cytomegalovirus (CMV). ARN often occurs in healthy adults; occasionally affecting immunocompromised patients with poor prognosis including significant visual loss and detachment of the atrophic retina regardless of antiviral treatment. We present a case of a teenage girl who presented with a history of both eye floaters and blurred vision. She was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome one year ago and treated with chemotherapy and stem cell transplant months ago. Her clinical diagnosis was bilateral acute retinal necrosis , which is rarely seen in immunocompromised patients.