Background Cerebral malaria (CM) continues to present a major health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. CM is associated with a characteristic malarial retinopathy (MR) with diagnostic and prognostic significance. Advances in retinal imaging have allowed researchers to better characterize the changes seen in MR and to make inferences about the pathophysiology of the disease. The study aimed to explore the role of retinal imaging in diagnosis and prognostication in CM; establish insights into pathophysiology of CM from retinal imaging; establish future research directions. Methods The literature was systematically reviewed using the African Index Medicus, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases. A total of 35 full texts were included in the final analysis. The descriptive nature of the included studies and heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Results Available research clearly shows retinal imaging is useful both as a clinical tool for the assessment of CM and as a scientific instrument to aid the understanding of the condition. Modalities which can be performed at the bedside, such as fundus photography and optical coherence tomography, are best positioned to take advantage of artificial intelligence-assisted image analysis, unlocking the clinical potential of retinal imaging for real-time diagnosis in low-resource environments where extensively trained clinicians may be few in number, and for guiding adjunctive therapies as they develop. Conclusions Further research into retinal imaging technologies in CM is justified. In particular, co-ordinated interdisciplinary work shows promise in unpicking the pathophysiology of a complex disease.

A woman in her thirties with no ophthalmic history presented two days of flashes and floaters. She had reduced right-eye visual acuity, bilateral retinal hemorrhages, and papilledema. She was diagnosed with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, myeloma protein, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome with Castleman disease variant, with elevated systemic levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Three doses of aflibercept (VEGF blocker) were administered to the right eye. The right eye improved from 6/60 to 6/5 after treatment. We suggest that intravitreal VEGF blockade should be considered to preserve vision in patients with POEMS syndrome and high circulating VEGF.

Background Cerebral malaria (CM) continues to present a major health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. CM is associated with a characteristic malarial retinopathy (MR) with diagnostic and prognostic significance. Advances in retinal imaging have allowed researchers to better characterise the changes seen in MR and to make inferences about the pathophysiology of the disease. Aims Explore the role of retinal imaging in diagnosis and prognostication in CM; establish insights into pathophysiology of CM from retinal imaging; establish future research directions Methods We systematically reviewed the literature from the African Index Medicus, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases. A total of 35 full texts were included in the final analysis. The descriptive nature of the included studies and heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Results Available research clearly shows retinal imaging is useful both as a clinical tool for the assessment of CM and as a scientific instrument to aid our understanding of the condition. Modalities which can be performed at the bedside, such as fundus photography and optical coherence tomography, are best positioned to take advantage of artificial intelligence-assisted image analysis, unlocking the clinical potential of retinal imaging for real-time diagnosis in low-resource environments where extensively trained clinicians may be few in number, and for guiding adjunctive therapies as they develop. Conclusions Further research into retinal imaging technologies in CM is justified. In particular, co-ordinated interdisciplinary work shows promise in unpicking the pathophysiology of a complex disease.