Management of presumed trematode induced granulomatous uveitis in pediatric patients.

PURPOSE: To outline the management of newly identified trematode induced uveitis in pediatric patients STUDY DESIGN: Prospective interventional case series METHODS: Patients with distinctive uveitis were recruited to either receive steroid monotherapy or undergo surgical excision of the inflammatory lesions based on a scoring system. Outcome measures included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular inflammatory activity, and incidence of ophthalmic complications RESULTS: 170 patients (174 eyes) were recruited. Mean age was 11.1 years. Mean initial decimal BCVA (± SD) was 0.58 (± 0.31). Of 116 eyes with disease scores <5, 109 were treated effectively with steroids (93.97%). Surgical excision was offered to 58 patients and proved curative in the treated eyes. Protracted inflammation with persistence of the granulomas was noted in 5 patients refusing surgery. Mean follow up period was 21.5 months. Mean final BCVA was 0.69 (±0.27). A significant change in BCVA was noted (p=0.002). There has not been a need for retreatment in any of the study patients, who were also given instructions on evading exposure to fresh water habitats. Larger lesions, mixed disease morphology, older age at presentation were associated with higher rates of ophthalmic complications and vision loss CONCLUSION: A novel waterborne trematode inducing uveitis has been identified in Egypt. A favorable response to steroid monotherapy is demonstrated in low grade disease, while surgical excision was found to be curative in patients with larger lesions or those showing suboptimal response to medical treatment.

Chronic candida endophthalmitis as a cause of intermediate uveitis.

Intermediate uveitis is a subset of intraocular inflammation where vitritis is the most consistent sign, with or without snowball opacities or snow banks over the pars plana. Some patients will have an associated underlying systemic disease such as sarcoidosis, multiple sclerosis, ocular tuberculosis, inflammatory bowel disease, possibly Behçet's disease and intraocular lymphoma, whereas some will be classified as pars planitis in case of the lack of an identifiable systemic disease association. Our patient, a 47-year-old woman, developed intermediate uveitis after cataract surgery in her right eye, was misdiagnosed as pars planitis, and received steroid monotherapy for 8 months. Her inflammation only fully resolved after vitrectomy with removal of the intraocular lens (IOL) and capsular bag. Oral fluconazole and intravitreal amphotericin B injection had failed to resolve her inflammation when Candida albicans was identified as the cause of her persistent intermediate uveitis.