Massive ocular hemorrhage resulting in blindness in a patient with the sickle cell trait who developed leptospirosis. Case report

Abstract

This case report describes the findings of a 18 year-old black male from Bahia, a Northeastern state in Brazil, with the sickle cell trait, who developed bilateral hyphema and vitreous hemorrhage with blindness in the course of leptospirosis. The patient started to complain of blurred vision four days after the start of fever and muscular pain and approximately twelve hours after the introduction of penicillin. The severity of the leptospirosis in conjunction with sickle cell trait was considered to be the most likely explanation for this ocular complication.

Keywords

• Leptospirosis
• Hyphema
• Vitreous hemorrhage
• Blindness