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

Abstract

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.