Clinical aspects of ocular leptospirosis in New Caledonia (South Pacific)

Abstract

Microagglutination and polymerase chain reaction hybridization are complementary tests for the diagnosis of Leptospira-induced ophthalmic lesions. Before deciding on treatment, one must consider the ability of virulent leptospires to persist in immunologically privileged sites such as aqueous humor, cerebrospinal fluid and eukaryotic cells. Polymerase chain reaction is a useful tool for the diagnosis of Leptospira-induced ocular complications, which are probably misdiagnosed if based only on routine laboratory tests. It enables early diagnosis and early specific treatment that now consists of quinolone and cyclines.