What Researchers Did
Doctors reported a case of an 8-year-old boy who developed severe inflammation of both retinas following a mumps infection, and was treated with steroids and HBOT as a rescue therapy.
What They Found
The child had widespread retinal inflammation confirmed by MRI and elevated mumps antibodies. After standard steroid treatment was insufficient, HBOT was added as a rescue therapy. Improvement in vision was noted, with the left eye recovering better than the right. There is no specific antiviral drug available for mumps.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified. Canada's public vaccine program covers MMR, making this complication rare in vaccinated populations.
Study Limitations
This is a single paediatric case report and the relative contributions of steroids versus HBOT to the visual improvement cannot be separated.