Progressive Enlarging Blind Spot in a Young Asian Lady: A Case Report on Acute Zonal Occult Outer Retinopathy

Authors

  • Alvin Oliver Payus Senior Lecturer in Internal Medicine, Medicine Based Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
  • Ang Wen Jeat Ophthalmologist, Ophthalmology Department, Melaka General Hospital, Jalan Mufti Haji Khalil, 75400 Melaka City, Melaka, Malaysia
  • Liew Sat Lin Senior Lecture, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
  • Malehah Mohd Noh Senior Lecture, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

Acute Zonal Occult Outer Retinopathy (AZOOR) is a very rare retinal disease that predominantly affect the Caucasians. It is usually present in a young myopic woman with an acute onset of photopsia and enlarging blind spots. Here, we report a young Asian lady who presented with a typical presentation of AZOOR and later confirmed by electrophysiological test of the retina. She was wrongly diagnosed as retrobulbar optic neuritis due to low index of suspicion for AZOOR among the treating physicians in the hospital. Fortunately, she responded to systemic corticosteroid that was given as a treatment of optic neuritis. AZOOR was only diagnosed later by a visiting European neuro-ophthalmologist in a neighbouring country. The objective of this case report is to remind the reader that the condition exists in Asian population and should be kept as a differential diagnosis in a young lady who presented with progressive visual field defect.

References

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Published

21.12.2019

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