This article discusses the symptoms of ocular histoplasmosis and its causes.
It also covers how ocular histoplasmosis is diagnosed and managed.
What Are the Symptoms of Ocular Histoplasmosis?
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Symptoms of a histoplasmosis infection will usually appear within 10 days ofHistoplasmafungus exposure.
Some people with POHS don’t have any symptoms.
The systemic infection usually disappears over a period of a few days and without intervention.
Damage to one’s vision may not happen right away.
The inflammation sparked by the infection may leave behind tiny pock-like scars in the retina called histo spots.
These scars are generallyasymptomatic.
Abnormal blood vessels can form and cause changes in vision, including blind spots or straight lines appearing wavy.
What Causes Ocular Histoplasmosis?
Histoplasmosis is thought to be a long-term complication of afungal infection, namely the fungusHistoplasma capsulatum.
This fungus is found throughout the world in soil and in bird or bat droppings.
Breathing fungus spores into the lungs can lead to a case of histoplasmosis.
These blood vessels can cause lesions, and if left untreated, can form scar tissue.
Most scar tissue in the retina does not cause any problems.
Scars in the macula can lead to new blood vessel growth, referred to as neovascularization.
Neovascularization causes vision loss because abnormal blood vessels can leak fluid and blood.
How Is Ocular Histoplasmosis Diagnosed?
Your eye doctor will be able to diagnose POHS after a dilated eye examination.
The dye travels to the blood vessels of the retina, assessing the effectiveness of circulation.
Can Ocular Histoplasmosis Be Cured?
Ocular histoplasmosis generally requires no treatment.
Although it is a disease because of a fungus, antifungal medications are not useful.
POHS causes scars to form inside the eye, but no active fungal infection is present in the eye.
Your eye care specialist may want to monitor any white spots in the eye.
This is to see to it the spots don’t get worse over time.
If vision loss occurs, you may receive injections into the eye.
This is similar to the treatment used forage-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The injections contain anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) medications like bevacizumab or ranibizumab.
Living With Ocular Histoplasmosis
POHS is rare.
Most people infected with theHistoplasmafungus will never develop the infection in their eyes.
However, if you are diagnosed with histoplasmosis, be alert for any changes in your vision.
As with every eye disease, early detection is key to preventing future possible vision loss.
Summary
Ocular histoplasmosis is a rare condition that appears after infection with theHistoplasmafungus.
Vision loss is one of the main symptoms of ocular histoplasmosis.
However, some people do not have any symptoms at all.
See an eye care professional if you are experiencing any changes in vision.
The provider will be able to test for more common causes of vision problems and make a proper diagnosis.
Ocular histoplasmosis may not require treatment.
Treatment for vision loss may involve injections and photodynamic therapy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of histoplasmosis.
Cleveland Clinic.Presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (POHS).
American Academy of Ophthalmology: EyeWiki.Presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is histoplasmosis?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Histoplasmosis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of histoplasmosis.
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.Histoplasmosis.
The American Society of Retina Specialists.Presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome.
