Pertussis Infection and Bilateral Optic Neuropathy Leading to Blindness in a 68-Year-old Male Patient: Possible Link or a Coincidence?

TL;DR

A 68-year-old man with a recent pertussis infection developed sudden bilateral optic neuropathy leading to blindness, suggesting a possible but unproven link.

Contribution

This is the first reported case linking pertussis infection to bilateral optic neuropathy in adults.

Findings

A 68-year-old man with recent pertussis developed bilateral optic neuropathy and lost vision.

No prior literature links pertussis to optic neuropathy in adults.

Steroid therapy failed to improve the patient's vision.

Abstract

Whooping cough is a deadly infection that mainly targets infants, but its incidence is also on the rise in adults. Bilateral optic neuropathy is rare and can be due to genetic factors, infections or autoimmune disorders. We present a case of a 68-year-old man who presented to a UK hospital with worsening vision in both eyes for three days. His vital signs including blood pressure were within normal limits. He was reviewed by acute internal medicine, ophthalmology and neurology teams. His investigations were unremarkable except serological evidence of recent pertussis infection. Despite steroid therapy, his vision did not improve and he lost his vision. There is no case in the literature suggesting the link between pertussis and bilateral optic neuropathy in adults, making this case a possible first case report suggesting a link between pertussis infection and bilateral optic neuropathy in adults and hence warranting further studies.

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