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Purpose: Evaluate the response to adalimumab (ADA) in pediatric chronic anterior uveitis (pCAU)., Methods: Retrospective chart review of pCAU patients treated with ADA. Outcomes evaluated included the proportion of patients achieving zero ocular inflammation and discontinuation of topical corticosteroids, visual outcomes, and incidence of uveitis recurrences after ≥ 12 months of prescribing ADA. Incidence and risk factors for developing anti-adalimumab antibodies (AAAs) were also evaluated., Results: Of 27 children aged 11 years, 16 (59%) were Caucasian and 6 (22%) African Americans. Thirteen (48%) patients had idiopathic pCAU, 12 (44%) had juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) related pCAU, and 2 (7%) had tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome. At baseline, African American children had worse visual acuity (p = 0.026). At 1 year, 21 (78%) children achieved zero ocular inflammation (remission). Risk factors associated with non-remission were being African American (20% vs. 94%, p = 0.003) and experiencing ≥ 1 episode of uveitis recurrence (100% vs. 0%, p < 0.001). Six episodes of uveitis recurrence were documented in five children, four of whom were African American. Topical corticosteroids were discontinued in 83% of children, and visual acuity remained stable for 1 year. Twelve children were tested for AAAs due to arthritis or uveitis flare-ups, with five (42%) being positive. No significant factors were associated with the development of AAAs., Conclusions: We found that ADA is effective in controlling inflammation, reducing the need for topical corticosteroids, and maintaining visual acuity in pCAU. There appears to be racial differences in African American children who had worse baseline disease and poorer outcomes. Studies are necessary to understand better and address these disparities., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the cases of intraocular inflammation following COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty mRNA vaccine and CoronaVac vaccine) in Hong Kong., Methods: This was a retrospective case series., Results: This series includes 16 eyes among 10 female patients, with a mean age of 49.4 ± 17.4 years. Eight patients (80%) received the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccination. Anterior uveitis was the most common presentation of postvaccination uveitis (50%) observed in our series, followed by intermediate uveitis (30%) and posterior uveitis (20%), respectively. A case of retinal vasculitis in the form of frosted branch angiitis, previously only reported following COVID-19 infection, was observed following COVID-19 vaccination. The median time from vaccination to uveitis onset was 15.2 days (range: 0-6 weeks). Inflammation in 11 out 16 eyes (68.75%) was completely resolved with topical steroids., Conclusion: Anterior uveitis was the predominant presentations of uveitis flare-ups following COVID-19 in our case series, followed by intermediate uveitis. Aligning with the current global literature concerning this issue, most of the uveitis attacks presented as anterior uveitis and were completely resolved with topical steroids. Consequently, the risk of uveitis flare-ups should not deter the public from receiving COVID-19 vaccines., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Purpose: To describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) related uveitis in Madrid, Spain., Methods: A case series nested in a retrospective single-center cohort of 494 patients with PsA was performed. Patients older than 18 years old whit a clinical diagnosis PsA-related uveitis who attended the Ramon y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid, Spain, between 1st January 2017 and 31st December 2019 were included in the study. Epidemiological and clinical data were retrieved from the electronic medical records., Results: Thirteen cases of psoriatic arthritis-related uveitis (6 men and 7 women) were included. PsA-related uveitis showed an incidence of 0.05 cases per 100,000 persons/year (CI95 0.00-0.35), and a prevalence of 2.19 cases per 100,000 persons (CI95 1.24-3.79). The prevalence of active uveitis in the cohort of PsA patients was 2.6%. The first episode of uveitis (mean age of 48.15 ± 15.41 years) was anterior and unilateral in 92.31% of the cases. Most of the patients had a recurrent course (69.2%) with 0.92 flare-ups per patient/year (CI95 0.85-0.96). The uveitis preceded the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis in 62.5% of the patients. In patients with PsA-related uveitis, HLA-B27 was present in 23.1%, HLA-Cw6 in 7.7%., Conclusions: Uveitis is a PsA manifestation that affects roughly 1 in 37 PsA patients, and that may precede the articular symptoms. It generally presents as a unilateral acute anterior uveitis and has a recurrent course. The most frequent observed complications are elevated intraocular pressure and cataracts., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Purpose: To evaluate the changes in retinal microvasculature in eyes with anterior uveitis (AU) using optical coherence tomography angiography., Methods: Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) of superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP), vessel density (VD) of SCP, DCP, and choriocapillaris, and central macular thickness (CMT) and central foveal thickness (CFT) were calculated from 34 healthy and 41 uveitic eyes. The parameters were compared between the two groups., Results: The deep FAZ was significantly smaller in the eyes with AU during the attack than after recovery and the control group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). The VD in deep capillary plexus (DCP) in eyes with AU during the attack was significantly higher than the control group (p = 0.048). The VD in the foveal sector of DCP in eyes with AU during the attack and after recovery was significantly higher than the control group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.031, respectively). There was no significant difference regarding CMT, CFT, VDs of each segment and each sector, and superficial and deep FAZ between eyes with first uveitis attack and those with recurrent uveitis during the attack and after recovery (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: The results of this study show that there is a reduction in the FAZ and an increase in the VD of the DCP of the retina during active AU, and these findings are reversible. Acute AU may affect the macular microvasculature, which is usually temporary, especially in the DCP., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Purpose: To determine the structure and morphology of corneal endothelial cell layer in patients with acute anterior uveitis., Methods: Thirty-four eyes of 34 acute anterior uveitis patients and 34 eyes of 34 healthy subjects were included. Mean cell density, coefficient of variation, maximum cell area, minimum cell area, average cell area and hexagonality ratio values were evaluated by non-contact specular microscopy. Parameters recorded in both groups were compared., Results: The mean maximum cell area was 1054,44 ± 251,14 µm 2 , minimum cell area was 152.29 ± 53.65 µm 2 and average cell area was 386.91 ± 41.73 µm 2 in acute anterior uveitis group and the mean maximum cell area was 1057.65 ± 261.23 µm 2 , minimum cell area was 147.26 ± 20.45 µm 2 and average cell area was 383.53 ± 43.12 µm 2 in the control group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of maximum, minimum and average cell area (respectively, p = 0.080, p = 0.72, p = 0.62, p = 0.67). The mean cell density was 2607.74 ± 277.63 cells/ µm 2 in acute anterior uveitis group and 2669.35 ± 265.22 cells/µm 2 in the control group. (p = 0.358). In acute anterior uveitis group the mean coefficient of variation was 31.68 ± 8.16, hexagonality ratio was 63.85 ± 11.14 and mean central corneal thickness was 571.47 ± 55.99 µm; in control group the mean coefficient of variation was 25.29 ± 3.00, mean hexagonality ratio was 72.6 ± 4.80% and mean central corneal thickness was 534.82 ± 33.84 µm. Statistically significant differences were seen between the two groups (respectively, P = 0,00, P = 0,00, P = 0.02)., Conclusion: The mean central corneal thickness and coefficient of variation values were found higher, and the hexagonality ratio was found lower in acute anterior uveitis group. Our findings suggest that intraocular inflammation in anterior chamber negatively affects the endothelial function in patients with acute anterior uveitis., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Purpose: To describe the clinical profile of HLA B-27-associated uveitis in Indian population., Method: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of 431 eyes of 255 consecutive patients with HLA B-27-associated uveitis, presented to our institute between 2012 and 2017., Result: The study observed a male preponderance (75.7%) and the mean age of patients was 35.6 ± 13.3 years. A total of 412 (95.3%) eyes had anterior uveitis, 17(3.9%) eyes had anterior and intermediate uveitis and 3 eyes (0.7%) had intermediate uveitis. Retinal vasculitis was detected in four eyes (0.9%). A total of 176 patients (69%) in the study had evidence of systemic disease and 85% patients developed recurrences. In addition to the treatment with topical and oral steroid, immunosuppressive was required in 39.6% patients and 4% patients received biological therapy. The majority of the eyes (78.4%) had a good visual outcome, while 61 (14.2%) eyes had moderate visual impairment and 32 (7.4%) eyes had severe visual impairment at the time of final follow-up., Conclusion: HLA-B27-associated uveitis can be associated with higher number of posterior segment involvement than it is estimated and aggressive therapy in moderate-to-severe uveitis can prevent severe visual impairment in these patients., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Aim: To evaluate ultra-widefield fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) findings in cases of ankylosing spondylitis (AS)-associated uveitis., Materials and Methods: Forty-five eyes of 23 AS patients followed up with a diagnosis of uveitis were included., Results: Sixteen (69.6%) men and seven (30.4%) women with a mean age of 46.26 ± 10.87 years were included in the study. Retinal vascular leakage was observed in 19 (42.2%) eyes at FFA, diffuse in six (13.3%) and peripheral in 13 (28.9%) eyes. Active anterior uveitis attack was present in seven (36.8%) eyes with vascular leakage at FFA, while no active uveitis findings were present in 12 (63.15%) eyes. No statistical relation was determined between peripheral and diffuse leakage and active uveitis (p = 0.195). No significant association was also determined between both diffuse and peripheral leakage and visual acuity (p = 0.066)., Conclusion: We observed widespread retinal vascular leakage at UWF angiography in AS patients (in eyes undergoing active uveitis attacks and inactive eyes).

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) of eyes having Fuchs' uveitis syndrome (FUS) with healthy fellow eyes (N)., Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study included unilateral FUS cases and an age- and gender-matched healthy control group. Thirty-nine participants were included in the FUS group, and 24 age- and gender-matched individuals were randomly selected for the control group. Endothelial cell density (ECD) was measured using Tomey specular microscopy. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography was used to acquire the choroidal images, and binarization was applied to the images. Two blinded investigators analyzed the CVI in both eyes of the FUS cases and the right eyes of the healthy control group., Results: CVI was found to be significantly decreased in FUS (p < 0.001). Additionally, ECD had a strong positive correlation with CVI (r = 0.383, p = 0.008)., Conclusion: CVI may provide information about the chronicity of the disease.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of 1% rimexolone ophthalmic suspension in children with chronic anterior uveitis under real-life conditions in a tertiary center., Methods: This is a retrospective longitudinal study. Medical records were analyzed at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months before and after switching to rimexolone for best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), oral steroid use, number of flares, IOP and anti-glaucoma management., Results: Twenty-four patients (41 eyes) diagnosed with either anterior uveitis (n = 25, 60.0%) or panuveitis (n = 16, 40%) were enrolled. The mean age was 10.5 years (4-16 years). The number of patients requiring oral prednisolone reduced from 8 patients (32.0%) at baseline to 3 patients (20.0%) at 12 months (P < 0.001). Following baseline, the median number of uveitis flares reduced from 2.0 (inter-quartile range (IQR) 1.0-2.75) to 1.0 (IQR 0.0-1.0) compared to the 12 months before baseline (P < 0.001). The mean IOP reduced from baseline (22.0 ± 7.3 mmHg) to 1 month (18.8 ± 8.7 mmHg, P = 0.01) and remained stable up to 12 months (15.9 ± 5.0 mmHg, P < 0.001). Average BCVA, dose of oral prednisolone and anti-glaucoma treatments did not change compared to the baseline. The development for IOP ≥ 30 mmHg was associated with a known corticosteroid response [odds ratio (OR) 6.8, P = 0.003] and a dose > 7.5 mg/day oral prednisolone (OR 4.4, P = 0.033)., Conclusions: Rimexolone 1% ophthalmic suspension is an effective and safe topical steroid for pediatric anterior uveitis.

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of swept-source (SS) optical coherence tomography (OCT) to objectively analyze the degree of anterior chamber (AC) inflammation., Methods: Thirty-eight eyes of 32 patients with uveitis and 20 control eyes were enrolled. SS OCT B-scans were obtained, and the number of cells in the B-scans was counted using two methods: (1) manual grading by Point Picker plug-in of Image J ( http://bigwww.epfl.ch/thevenaz/pointpicker/ ) and (2) automated grading by the Image J Particle Analysis algorithm ( http://imagej.net/Particle&#95;Analysis ). The automated and manual AC cell counts were correlated with the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature score., Results: The average numbers of AC inflammatory cells counted by the automated method were 8 ± 4.0, 18 ± 3.0, 42 ± 14.0, 81 ± 32.0, 117 ± 57.0, and 275 ± 67.0 cells/mm 2 for grades 0, 0.5 + , 1 + , 2 + , 3 + , and 4 + , respectively. For the same clinical categories, the average manual cell counts were 6 ± 4.0, 18 ± 3.0, 34 ± 14.0, 72 ± 32.0, 92 ± 43.0, and 168 ± 65.0 cells/mm 2 , respectively. Zero cells were detected in the AC of healthy eyes. The automated and manual methods were highly correlated (R = 0.98, p < 0.001) and showed good correlation with the clinical grading (R = 0.88, p < 0.001). A mean AC particle size of 117.4 ± 108.8 μm was obtained by the automated method., Conclusions: Quantification of the AC cells imaged by SS AS-OCT shows good correlation with categorical clinical severity assessments in uveitis eyes. This approach may provide a more objective method for monitoring uveitis and response to uveitis therapy.

Purpose: This study was aimed to assess the long-term results of phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation in patients with anterior uveitis., Methods: Patients with complicated cataract secondary to anterior uveitis who underwent phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation were included in this study. Long-term results and all complications were evaluated throughout the postoperative 4 years., Results: A total of 55 eyes of 48 patients were identified in this study. Cases with anterior uveitis were categorised into four aetiologic groups. Of the 55 eyes, 22 (19 patients) had idiopathic anterior uveitis, 10 (9 patients) had viral anterior uveitis, 10 (9 patients) had Fuchs' anterior uveitis and 13 (11 patients) had anterior uveitis associated with collagen vascular diseases. Preoperative macular oedema was more frequent (63.6%) in the idiopathic group than in the other groups (p < 0.001). The success rates of the best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better ranged from 80.0 to 100.0% in the groups. While postoperative increased intraocular pressure rate was statistically significantly higher in the Fuchs' group (p = 0.047), there was no statistically significant difference in other complication rates between the groups., Conclusions: The long-term outcomes of phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation in patients with uveitic cataract were satisfactory with excellent visual acuity and relatively low complication rates.

Purpose: To evaluate the choroidal thickness on acute anterior uveitis in patients with HLA-B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis., Methods: In this study, 32 eyes of 16 HLA-B27 positive AS patients with anterior uveitis and age-matched 19 eyes for control group were analyzed between January 2014 and April 2015. Assessment criteria were uveitis activity, visual acuity, flare existence, subfoveal choroidal thickness and central macular thickness measurements., Results: The mean subfoveal choroidal thicknesses in affected eye group (Group 1), unaffected eye group (Group 2) and control group (Group 3) were 348.31 ± 72.7, 301.12 ± 49.2 and 318.0 ± 74.3, respectively, in active periods. (p = 0.04 between Group 1 and Group 2, p = 0.234 between Group 1 and Group 3) The mean central macular thicknesses of Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 were 268.50 ± 16.5, 267.31 ± 16.3 and 249.7 ± 30.5, respectively, in active periods. (p = 0.84 between Group 1 and Group 2, p = 0.029 between Group 1 and Group 3). However, in convalescence period, the mean subfoveal choroidal thicknesses of Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 were 322.40 ± 48.5, 300.75 ± 47.7 and 318.0 ± 74.3, respectively. (p = 0.22 between Group 1 and Group 2, p = 0.854 between Group 1 and Group 3) The mean central macular thicknesses of Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 were 269.75 ± 21.9, 256.62 ± 21.5 and 249.7 ± 30.5, respectively. (p = 0.09 between Group 1 and Group 2, p = 0.03 between Group 1 and Group 3)., Conclusions: In HLA-B27 positive ankylosing spondylitis patients with anterior uveitis, the choroidal thicknesses of the affected eyes were found as thicker than fellow unaffected one or control eyes in active period. The central macular thicknesses are not affected on both active and convalescent period.

Purpose: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. Occasionally, triggering causes are identified, such as neoplasms, and they are termed sarcoid-like reactions, which may appear in any sarcoidotic target tissue. Choroidal metastases appear as part of widespread metastatic disease or as the first suggestion of neoplastic disease. They can also be a part of the differential diagnosis of a spectrum of inflammatory eye diseases. We present a case in which a lung carcinoma, pulmonary and eye sarcoid-like reactions, and choroidal metastasis take place in the same patient., Case Report: A 60-year-old male with a past history of pulmonary sarcoidosis and associated anterior uveitis was diagnosed with a lung carcinoma with no regional lymph nodes extension, so that the resection surgery was performed without additional systemic treatment. At the same time, he complained of visual acuity loss and pain in his right eye. An intense ocular inflammatory reaction and a choroidal mass compatible with metastasis were identified. A vitrectomy with an accompanied histological exam of the lesion was deemed inconclusive. Ocular symptoms progressively worsened showing mass growth, and as a result, an enucleation was performed and the histological study subsequently revealed metastasis from his lung carcinoma., Conclusion: Sarcoid-like reactions may be due to incipient malignancies. Any diagnosis of sarcoidosis requires ruling out other diseases that can produce secondary sarcoid-like reactions. In addition, any choroidal mass suggestive of metastasis requires exclusion of metastatic disease even in the absence of clinical signs indicating tumor extension.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of topical diclofenac and topical dexamethasone on anterior chamber flare and postoperative pain following rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery. This prospective study included 40 eyes of 40 patients treated for RRD. Twenty-eight patients underwent scleral buckling and 12 patients underwent 20-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). For each surgical procedure, patients were postoperatively randomly divided into two groups: the first group received topical dexamethasone phosphate 0.1 % four times daily for 28 days; the second group received topical diclofenac sodium 0.1 % three times daily for 28 days. The inflammatory reaction in the anterior chamber was measured with laser flare photometry preoperatively and 1, 7, 14, 28, and 90 days postoperatively. Pain level was evaluated with Scott's visual analog scale at day 1, 7, 14, and 28 postoperatively. For patients treated with scleral buckling, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding mean aqueous flare at day 1 (p = 0.096), day 7 (p = 0.435), day 14 (p = 0.510), day 28 (p = 0.583), and day 90 (p = 0.423). The group who received diclofenac had significantly lower pain score at days 7, 14, and 28 (p = 0.048, p = 0.017, and p = 0.028, respectively). For patients treated with PPV, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding mean aqueous flare at day 1 (p = 0.400), day 7 (p = 0.728), day 14 (p = 0.843), day 28 (p = 0.939), and day 90 (p = 0.568). Patients who received diclofenac had significantly lower pain score at days 7, 14, and 28 (p = 0.032, p = 0.030, and p = 0.023, respectively). Topical diclofenac seems to be as potent as topical dexamethasone in managing postoperative inflammatory response induced by surgery for RRD with better analgesic effect. Both of them are consequences of blood-aqueous barrier and blood-retinal barrier breakdown.

We report a case of bilateral iridocyclitis accompanied by bacterial meningitis in an immunocompetent patient. Case report. A 48 year-old healthy female visited our hospital with strong headache, fever, bilateral hyperemia, and blurred vision in both eyes. A slit-lamp examination revealed moderate cells and flare in the anterior chamber of both eyes, with fine keratoprecipitates. There were no obvious inflammatory changes in the vitreous, retina, and optic disc of both eyes. Elevation of peripheral blood white blood cells, C-reactive protein, and an elevated number of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cells suggested bacterial meningitis. The patient was admitted to our hospital and received intravenous antibiotics. Finally, a CSF culture revealed infection with gram-positive rods, suspected Listeria monocytogenes, confirming bacterial meningitis. For iridocyclitis, we prescribed betamethasone eyedrops and 0.5 % tropicamide eyedrops with intravenous adminstration of systemic antibiotics. 3 days later, her headache and bilateral hyperemia disappeared. This case is better described as sterile reactive uveitis rather than endogenous bacterial endophthalmitis, because bilateral anterior uveitis was resolved without chronic uveitis, iris atrophy, and vitreous opacity. When clinicians see patients with meningitis and bilateral anterior uveitis, sterile reactive uveitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of uveitis.

We report the clinical history of a child affected by Crohn's disease in which uveitis precedes intestinal involvement by years and occurs with the atypical features of anterior chronic inflammation complicated by unilateral optic disc edema, rather than recurrent anterior uveitis with sudden onset which has been more widely reported in inflammatory bowel diseases. The uveitis onset occurred 8 years before symptoms of the primary intestinal disease, while in inflammatory bowel diseases the intestinal inflammation typically precedes ocular symptoms, and ocular inflammation only occasionally precedes inflammatory involvement of the bowel.

Aqueous flare and cells are the two inflammatory parameters of anterior chamber inflammation resulting from disruption of the blood-ocular barriers. When examined with the slit lamp, measurement of intraocular inflammation remains subjective with considerable intra- and interobserver variations. Laser flare cell photometry is an objective quantitative method that enables accurate measurement of these parameters with very high reproducibility. Laser flare photometry allows detection of subclinical alterations in the blood-ocular barriers, identifying subtle pathological changes that could not have been recorded otherwise. With the use of this method, it has been possible to compare the effect of different surgical techniques, surgical adjuncts, and anti-inflammatory medications on intraocular inflammation. Clinical studies of uveitis patients have shown that flare measurements by laser flare photometry allowed precise monitoring of well-defined uveitic entities and prediction of disease relapse. Relationships of laser flare photometry values with complications of uveitis and visual loss further indicate that flare measurement by laser flare photometry should be included in the routine follow-up of patients with uveitis.

To study the sensitivity of laser flare photometry (LFP) in monitoring anterior chamber inflammation by correlating LFP measurements with slit-lamp evaluation of aqueous cells in HLA-B27-related uveitis in a prospective trial. Slit-lamp cell evaluation was correlated with LFP-measured flare in a masked fashion in HLA-B27-related uveitis patients receiving standard topical therapy. At the time of 50 and 90% LFP flare reduction, the corresponding reduction of cells was recorded and statistically compared using the sign test. Forty-three episodes (in 43 patients) of acute anterior HLA-B27-related uveitis were included. LFP flare reduction and slit-lamp cell reduction were strongly correlated. LFP was significantly more sensitive for both 50% (P = 0.001) and 90% (P = 0.02) LFP flare reduction in assessing the decrease of anterior chamber inflammation. LFP was superior to slit-lamp cell evaluation in monitoring anterior chamber inflammation in uveitis. Flare, becoming a quantitative parameter when measured by LFP, rather than cells, should be considered the gold standard to measure anterior chamber inflammation in uveitis.

To describe the clinical manifestations and response to therapy of adult patients with tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU) syndrome and to provide suggested work-up and treatment. We retrospectively examined medical records of all adult patients suffering from TINU at Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) over the past 15 years. Characteristics of ocular and nephrologic manifestations were investigated with particular attention given to age, presenting signs and symptoms, treatment and course of disease. Five adult patients (median age 44 years) were diagnosed with TINU syndrome and followed from 1991-2006 at SUMC. As renal involvement was present at initial evaluation in all patients, they were all treated with steroids. They all suffered from moderate to severe ocular inflammation and most of them relapsed; they also suffered from TINU-related non-specific symptoms. The uveitis in our adult patients was more severe than previously reported. Renal failure and TINU-related non-specific symptoms were observed in all patients and led to the diagnosis of TINU and to systemic therapy which is more aggressive than the usual therapy for uvetis. Thus, early suspicion and diagnosis of TINU may help to direct the appropriate therapy for the degree of uveitis observed in these patients.

To describe the clinical features and outcomes in patients with herpetic anterior uveitis. We reviewed the records of 111 patients with a clinical diagnosis of herpetic anterior uveitis seen at the Department of Ophthalmology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, from January 1996 to December 2006. Demographic and clinical features, recurrence rate, and visual outcome were analyzed. Fifty patients were male, 61 were female. Mean age at presentation was 39.2 ± 16.5 (6-74) years. Three atopic patients had bilateral involvement. Twelve patients had active or a past episode of herpes zoster ophthalmicus. Ocular findings were granulamatous anterior uveitis (93%), active keratitis or corneal scars (57%), elevated intraocular pressure (51%), iris atrophy (48%), distorted pupil (25%), and posterior synechiae (26%). Secondary glaucoma developed in two patients. None of the patients had posterior segment complications. The recurrence rate was 0.45/person-year. Topical corticosteroids and oral antiviral therapy were administered to all patients during active episodes. Long-term prophylactic oral acyclovir was used in 13%. Final visual acuity was worse than 0.5 in 17% of the involved eyes and was due to corneal scarring or cataract formation. Patients with iridocyclitis only had no permanent visual loss. Herpetic anterior uveitis is a recurrent granulomatous disease commonly associated with corneal involvement, iris atrophy, and transient intraocular pressure rise. Visual prognosis is good, especially in patients who have only anterior uveitis without corneal disease.

Lyme borreliosis is an underdiagnosed infectious disease caused by a spirochete and transmitted by certain Ixodes ticks. In Lyme disease diagnostic problems are still discussed extensively as the laboratory workup is not standardized and a positive antibody result is not proof of active infection. It is therefore important to appreciate all clinical signs that can prompt us to the diagnostic investigation of Lyme borreliosis. We present a case of a woman with Lyme borreliosis and recurrent unilateral anterior uveitis in her right eye for 2 years, who developed cotton wool spots (CWS) in her left eye, followed by acute and recurrent anterior uveitis in this second eye. An extensive general examination, including blood coagulopathies and ultrasound of the carotid arteries, did not reveal any pathology. The CWS resolved within a few months. The recurrent anterior uveitis could be controlled by topical steroids. After treatment with 2 g of i.v. ceftriaxone for 3 weeks, she remained free of recurrences for 1 year of observation time. CWS can be the first clinical sign of ocular vascular pathology and/or uveitis. Further investigation will be necessary to confirm the relationship between CWS and ocular borreliosis. In patients with otherwise unexplained CWS, the possibility of an infection with borreliosis should be ruled out carefully.

Purpose: To report a case of external ophthalmomyiasis manifesting with keratouveitis., Case Report: A 77-year-old man, presented with keratouveitis secondary to external ophthalmomyiasis. Slit-lamp examination of the affected eye disclosed subepithelial linear opacities, stromal keratitis, and anterior uveitis. There were also some moving maggots identified as Oestrus ovis larvae. Following removal of the maggots and instillation of tobramycin, the symptoms completely resolved within 2 days and visual acuity improved., Conclusions: Although external ophthalmomyiasis usually manifests with ocular surface involvement, this uncommon condition must be considered in the differential diagnosis of keratouveitis, especially in rural areas.

Background: A 24-year-old immunocompetent man with anterior uveitis developed a bilateral multifocal retinochoroiditis after an acute febrile multisystemic illness., History and Signs: Because of his history of idiopathic uveitis the multisystemic illness was treated with oral prednisone. When a retinochoroiditis occurred cyclosporine was added. This was followed by an extensive flare-up of the retinochoroiditis. The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was then established by a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from aqueous humour and confirmed by isolation of the parasite in several organs., Therapy and Outcome: On the base of kept frozen sera the acute febrile episode was found to be an acquired toxoplasmosis. On re-examination all evidence of pre-existing Fuchs' uveitis was gathered. The immunosuppressive therapy was discontinued and the patient was kept under anti-toxoplasmic maintenance therapy for 1 year without recurrence of the retinochoroiditis., Conclusions: The case illustrates a possible consequence of immunosuppressive therapy in infection with toxoplasmosis and the importance of the diagnosis of a pre-existing noninfectious uveitis.

Purpose: In its typical form and when seen at onset, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) is characterized by easily recognizable signs that allow diagnosis without difficulty. In cases that do not have acute onset, that are seen at a later stage or that do not show the complete set of signs, appraisal is more difficult and diagnosis may cause difficulties. We present here a case of bilateral granulomatous uveitis compatible with VKH disease in order to allow several experts to give their opinion on the most appropriate manner to confirm or reject the diagnosis and their approach to the management of the case., Case Presentation: A 17-year-old female patient consulted her ophthalmologist for blurred vision OU following an episode of a flu-like disease with malaise, fever and headaches. A bilateral anterior granulomatous uveitis with a right papillitis was diagnosed and the patient presented with a bilateral acute myopization. Fluorescein angiography showed right disc hyperfluorescence with late leakage and slight left disc hyperfluorescence. The patient was given a course of one week of peroral corticosteroid therapy followed by an intramuscular injection of Bentelan twice weekly. In the absence of significant improvement the patient was sent six weeks later to a specialized center where a complete work-up was performed., Expert Opinion: The diagnostic work-up, investigational tests, and differential diagnosis to confirm or reject the diagnosis of VKH as well as the management of the case will be described by the experts.

Purpose: Behçet's uveitis is not common in western Europe and the disease presentation is less obvious than in "endemic" countries such as Turkey and Japan. This makes the diagnosis more difficult. Early diagnosis is important, as the prognosis is better if therapy is started early. New methods such as ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) can improve the characterisation and diagnosis of uveitis. Our purpose was to present our experience with these new methods as well as HLA-B51 testing in the appraisal of patients with Behçet's uveitis., Patients and Methods: Patients seen by the authors between 1997 and 2001 with Behçet's uveitis or suspected Behçet's uveitis and who underwent ICG angiography or UBM were included. Symptoms and signs, results of laboratory work-up including HLA-B51 antigen testing and the delay to diagnosis, were analysed. Fluorescein and ICG angiography and UBM testing were performed according to standard protocols used for uveitis patients and their contribution towards diagnosis and management were analysed., Results: Uveitis was non granulomatous in all patients. Fluorescein angiography showed moderate to severe diffuse retinal vasculitis compatible with Behçet's uveitis in all cases. HLA-B51 testing was positive in 5 of 7 tested cases, being useful to orient the diagnosis. UBM contributed to the diagnosis in all five tested cases, being the determining element in 3 patients. It allowed redirection of the diagnosis from pars planitis to Behçet's in 2 patients with poorly transparent media because it failed to show the typical pars planitis deposits. In a case originally diagnosed as Behçet's it allowed correction of the diagnosis to pars planitis because of the presence of the typical UBM pars plana depositis. ICG angiography allowed detection of choroidal vasculitis in all five tested cases., Conclusions: In Behçet's patients who did not present with a full-blown clinical picture, as they are often seen in non-endemic areas, UBM examination and HLA-B51 testing were valuable additional diagnostic elements helping to redirect the diagnosis correctly and to reduce the diagnostic delay in these patients. The hitherto unknown choroidal vasculitis shown by ICG angiography in all five investigated patients indicates that choroidal involvement probably occurs in most newly diagnosed Behçet's patients.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of medical treatment of cystoid macular edema (CME) in patients with uveitis., Methods: Retrospective study of 40 patients (57 eyes) with uveitis and CME. Inclusion criteria were presence of CME with minimal and no macular pathology, or vascular disease which could account for CME. Patients who had undergone intraocular surgery or had visual acuity (VA) of > or = 20/40 were excluded. The diagnosis of CME was based on clinical and/or angiographic findings. Three treatment groups were defined: (1) transseptal injection of steroids (n=13 eyes); (2) systemic non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (n=11 eyes); both 1 and 2 (n=33 eyes)., Results: Overall, 79% of eyes improved 3 or more lines of Snellen VA after treatment: 51% improved 4 or more lines. The average number of lines improved was 3.8 for eyes treated with transseptal injections of steroids, 2.9 for eyes treated with NSAIDs, and 4 for eyes treated with both. For all 3 treatment groups between 60-70% of eyes improving 2 or more lines reached best VA only after a minimum of 6 months of follow up., Conclusions: CME, a vision threatening complication of uveitis, respond fairly well to medical treatment; however, the best VA is achieved after several months. The improvement in VA did not differ markedly among the three treatment groups.

We studied characteristics of ocular inflammation associated with yersinia infection in six children, three boys and three girls, ranging in age between 4 and 14 years. Four patients developed acute anterior uveitis with aqueous flare and cells, small keratic precipitates, cells in the vitreous, and occasionally with fibrinous exudates, posterior synechiae and macular edema. The uveitis was unilateral in two patients and bilateral in two. In three 10- to 14-year-old patients the uveitis resolved during corticosteroid treatment in 3 to 8 (mean 6) weeks. In a 4-year-old girl with positive antinuclear antibody titers bilateral uveitis lasted for 17 weeks. Two uveitis patients had recurrent episodes. Two patients had mucopurulent bilateral mild conjunctivitis which resolved in 3 to 5 days. All patients had symptoms of reactive arthritis and one had sacroiliitis. All tested patients were HLA-B27 positive. Our results indicate that in HLA-B27 positive children, especially after the age of 10 years, yersinia infection may occasionally trigger reactive iritis or conjunctivitis which often occur together with other HLA-B27 associated rheumatic diseases.

Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) may be considered to be one manifestation of the seronegative spondylarthropathies of which ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the prototype, especially when the patient is HLA-B27 positive. However, it is not yet clear under which circumstances a patient with AAU should be referred to the rheumatologist. In a retrospective study we evaluated the management of 68 consecutive HLA-B27+ AAU patients from a rheumatologic point of view. Although the majority (73%) showed rheumatic problems, only half (52%) of the patients was referred to a rheumatologist, due to problems in evaluation of clinical history and of x-ray reading of the sacroiliac (SI) joints. Because HLA-B27 typing will determine whether the AAU patients "at risk" have AS or a related arthropathy, we suggest using HLA-B27 typing in AAU patients as a diagnostic and prognostic aid. When the AAU patient is found to be HLA-B27 positive, the rheumatologist will be able to "split" these patients into those with AS and those without. Early diagnosis of AS in AAU patients is important as an early start of drug therapy and physiotherapy may prevent deformities and improve final rheumatologic outcome.