Ophthalmic Manifestations of Monkeypox Virus Infection: A Cases Series

ABSTRACT

This retrospective case series aims to describe the ophthalmic manifestations of the Monkeypox virus infection in seven patients evaluated in two countries of South America (Colombia and Brazil). Two had skin lesions in the eyelid, and five had conjunctivitis. None had intraocular involvement. Three of seven patients had a history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection, and all patients had lesions in the genital region, suggesting sexual-contact transmission. In 6 of 7 cases, conjunctival RT-PCR was positive for the Monkeypox virus, including one case without conjunctival vesicles. In all cases, lesions resolved without complications, and just two required antiviral treatment. All patients demonstrated improvement without complications. RT-PCR positivity in conjunctiva demonstrated the presence of the Monkeypox virus, suggesting that ocular-mediated transmission could be plausible. Ophthalmologists should be aware of this ophthalmic manifestation.

KEYWORDS:

• Case series
• Monkeypox virus
• orthopoxvirus
• public health

Disclosure statement

The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Consent for publication

All patients gave their consent for publication and allowed to share their photographs anonymously.

Ethics considerations

This study adheres to the ethical principles for human research established by the Helsinki Declaration, the Belmont Report, and Colombian Resolution 008430 of 1993.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.