Cerebral visual impairment may cause vision deficits in infants with Zika syndrome

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Cerebral visual impairment may be an important cause of visual impairment in infants with congenital Zika syndrome, according to a study presented at the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus meeting.

“Visual acuity, visual function and visual milestones significantly were abnormal in infants with congenital Zika syndrome [P < .001],” Liana M. Ventura, MD, said.

Liana M. Ventura

In a cross-sectional study conducted in Recife, Brazil, Ventura and colleagues looked at 119 infants with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) and 85 healthy infants matched for age, gender and socioeconomic class. Microcephaly was present in 88.5% of infants with CZS compared with none in the control group. Strabismus and nystagmus were both statistically significantly present in infants with CZS compared with control subjects: respectively, 119 infants vs. four infants with strabismus and 54 infants vs. six infants with nystagmus (both P < .00).

“Although disc cupping and disc pallor were also present in the control group, it was more prevalent in the CZS group [P < .001 and P = .0023, respectively],” Ventura said.

A total of 46.5% of infants in the CZS group did not present with funduscopic findings; however, they did present with abnormal visual acuity, suggesting cerebral visual impairment as the cause, Ventura said. – by Patricia Nale, ELS

Reference:

Ventura LM, et al. Visual function assessment in children with congenital Zika syndrome. Presented at: American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus annual meeting; April 2-6, 2017; Nashville, Tenn.

Disclosure: Ventura reports no relevant financial disclosures.