Zoonotic intravitreal Onchocerca in Hungary

Objective: To report the case of a 65-year-old male patient from western Hungary who presented with rapidly progressive peripheral visual field (VF) loss and the sensation of an actively moving object in his central VF Design: Interventional case report. Method/Intervention: A live nematode was removed from the anterior vitreous cavity by pars plana vitrectomy. Results: The worm was successfully removed surgically, and the patient had an uneventful recovery. The nematode was identified as an immature filaria, most likely a member of the genus Onchocerca. Conclusions: Only 3 previous reports exist of human infection of the eye caused by zoonotic Onchocerca, 2 involving the subconjunctiva and 1 the cornea. Although rare, zoonotic onchocercal infection of the eye must be considered a differential diagnostic entity even in temperate climates. (C) 2005 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.