Hereford clinicians highlight rare case of papilloedema

A five-year-old boy who presented to the Hereford County Hospital with papilloedema was diagnosed with a mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Writing in BMJ Case Reports, clinicians describe how the young patient first presented with a headache and malaise.

An MRI showed signs of raised intracranial pressure while blood tests showed signs of inflammatory markers.

The patient was given prednisolone, acetazolamide and intravenous cefotaxime. He was discharged following an improvement in his condition.

However, two weeks later the patient presented again with bilateral uveitis and papilloedema.

Tests confirmed a recent mycoplasma infection. Topical dexamethasone and oral azithromycin were prescribed resulting in an improvement of symptoms.

The patient’s vision remained normal throughout and he continued to be well at a one-year check up.

The authors highlight that mycoplasma infections can present with a huge variety of symptoms in children, and the condition should be considered in cases of bilateral uveitis and papilloedema.