Choroidal thickness in Bartonella henselae multifocal retinitis

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the choroid in multifocal retinitis assoiciated with Bartonella henselae infection. Other posterior uveitis diseases, such as toxoplasmosis, tend to present with a thickened choroid, and we aimed to evaluate whether this is the case in these patients as well. Methods Consecutive cases of Bartonella henselae multifocal retinitis at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, Israel, between January 2023 and December 2025 were reviewed retrospectively. The choroid in cases of retinitis was evaluated using OCT with enhanced depth imaging (EDI). Results Five patients (ten eyes) were included. All cases had a typical bilateral multifocal retinitis with small or mid-sized superficial retinal infiltrates. All were immunocompetent with a negative uveitis workup, including syphilis and rickettsia, but a positive Bartonella serology. All cases had a thickened choroid, which was either diffuse or focal, localized posterior to retinal infiltrates. The more involved eye of the same patient, with more inflammatory signs, also had a thicker choroid. The choroid became thinner after treatment. Conclusions The choroid of patients with Bartonella henselae retinitis may be thickened as a result of the infection.