Similarities in the histological mouse model of early herpes simplex retinopathy with punctate inner choroidopathy and Ebola virus disease retinopathy

Purpose: To highlight similarities between the cross-sectional retinal lesion appearance in a patient with punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC), Ebola virus disease (EVD) retinopathy and the von Szily mouse model of herpes simplex virus type I (HSV) retinopathy. Methods: Case report and cross-sectional retinal lesion comparison. Results: Whilst phenotypically different on colour imaging, a near-identical lesion appearance on optical coherence tomography, characterised by a focal photoreceptor loss and distinctive V-shaped collapse of the overlying retinal layers, was observed in both PIC and EVD retinopathy. This mirrored the early histological appearance of the neuronally transmitted HSV retinopathy in a mouse model. Conclusions: Given the occurrence of this phenotypic appearance has been demonstrated in an animal model where the viral pathophysiological mechanism is known, together with its observation in EVD retinopathy with a shared, hypothesised neurotropic retinal pathogenesis, the potential of a common pathophysiology accounting for the appearance in PIC lesions is a possibility which may provide a potential avenue for future research.

Automated summary

This study compares the cross-sectional retinal lesion appearance in patients with punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC), Ebola virus disease (EVD) retinopathy, and a mouse model of herpes simplex virus type I (HSV) retinopathy. The results show a similar lesion appearance on optical coherence tomography in both PIC and EVD retinopathy, with focal photoreceptor loss and distinctive V-shaped collapse of the overlying retinal layers. This similarity suggests a potential common pathophysiology and calls for further research.