Is Coxsackievirus the Cause of Unilateral Acute Idiopathic Maculopathy?
Unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy (UAIM) is an inflammatory process involving the outer retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the macula. It is typically associated with a serous neurosensory detachment and is sometimes associated with papillitis, subretinal exudation, intraretinal hemorrhages, and/or vitreous cells.1-2 Patients report a loss of central vision followed by a remarkable spontaneous recovery over a period of several weeks. This entity frequently affects young, healthy individuals and is often associated with a prodromal flulike illness. We describe 2 patients who developed ocular findings consistent with UAIM shortly after developing classic signs and symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease. We believe that coxsackievirus, which causes hand-foot-and-mouth disease, may also cause UAIM. Report of Cases Case 1 A 30-year-old woman had a 5-day history of decreased vision in her left eye. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease had spread through her child’s daycare center t
