Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome with thrombotic microangiopathy of the retina following cytomegalovirus infection: postmortem findings

• Published in: Postgraduate medical journal Vol. 69; no. 814; pp. 653 - 655
• Main Authors: Catón, B., Díaz de Otazu, R., Aldamiz-Echebarria, M., Viguri, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London The Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine 01-08-1993; BMJ; Oxford University Press; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cytomegalovirus Infections - complications; Female; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome - complications; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome - microbiology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Retinal Artery - pathology; Retinal Vessels - pathology; Thrombosis - etiology; Thrombosis - pathology; Viral diseases; Virus; Infection; Cytomegalovirus; Urinary system disease; Hemolytic uremic syndrome; Microangiopathy; Herpesviridae; Acute; Viral disease; Renal failure; Renal disease; Betaherpesvirinae
• ISSN: 0032-5473; 1469-0756
• DOI: 10.1136/pgmj.69.814.653

Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome is characterized by thrombotic microangiopathy of the glomeruli and smaller arterial vessels of the kidney. Extrarenal thrombotic microangiopathy occurs, but ocular involvement is rarely demonstrated microscopically. We describe a 33 year old woman with a 3 week febrile episode and seropositivity for cytomegalovirus infection who developed acute renal failure, blindness and severe encephalopathy which was the cause of death. Thrombotic microangiopathy of retinal vessels may be more common than is expected from the literature. The exclusion of ocular structures in postmortem examinations explains the lack of anatomoclinical correlation.