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

Abstract

Abstract 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 1 (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.