Sympathetic Ophthalmia: Demographic Characteristics, Clinical Findings, and Treatment Results.

Objectives: To evaluate the demographic characteristics, clinical findings, and treatment approach of patients with sympathetic ophthalmia (SO). Materials and Methods: The records of 14 patients with SO between 2000 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' Snellen best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), detailed ophthalmological examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), enhanced depth imaging-OCT (EDI-OCT), fundus fluorescein angiography findings, and treatment approaches were recorded. Results: The study included the 14 sympathizing eyes of 14 patients with SO (7 female, 7 male). The mean age was 48.5±15.4 years (range: 28-75), and the mean follow-up duration was 55.1±48.7 months (range: 6-204). Ten patients (71%) had a history of ocular trauma and 4 (29%) had a history of ocular surgery. The time to symptom onset in the sympathizing eye after trauma or ocular surgery ranged from 15 days to 60 years. The most common posterior segment findings were optic disc edema (36%) and exudative retinal detachment (36%). In the acute period, the mean choroidal thickness value on EDI-OCT was 716.5±63.6 µm (range: 635-772) and decreased to 296±81.6 µm (range: 240-415) after treatment. Treatment with high-dose systemic corticosteroid was given to 8 patients (57%), azathioprine (AZA) to 7 (50%), AZA and cyclosporine-A combination to 7 (50%), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors to 3 patients (21%). Recurrence was observed in 4 patients (29%) during follow-up. At last follow-up, BCVA values were better than 20/50 in 11 (79%) of the sympathizing eyes. Remission was achieved in 13 patients (93%), but 1 patient (7%) lost her vision due to acute retinal necrosis. Conclusion: SO is a bilateral inflammatory disease that presents with granulomatous panuveitis after ocular trauma or surgery. Favorable functional and anatomical results can be obtained with early diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment.

Sympathetic Ophthalmia - case report.

Purpose. To present the case of a 22-year-old man with a history of trauma on the right eye, followed by a sudden decrease of visual acuity on the left eye, but with a good recovery after surgical treatment. Material and methods. We reported a case of a 22-year-old patient with a sudden and painless decrease of visual acuity on the left eye, a month after a car accident, which led to the laceration of the right globe. At first, the patient received only medical treatment because he refused any surgical intervention. He had a favorable evolution during hospitalization, but he returned after a month with the same visual acuity as at his first admission. The patient accepted the medical treatment and the enucleation of the right eye, thus having a fast improvement in his visual acuity on the left eye. Conclusions. Although the enucleation was overdue, it had a strong favorable influence on the evolution of the disease. As a result of the surgery, the visual acuity has improved significantly in just a few days. Abbreviations: OCT = optical coherence tomography.

Recent advances in diagnosis and management of sympathetic ophthalmia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Sympathetic ophthalmia is a bilateral granulomatous uveitis that occurs following unilateral trauma or surgery and is sight-threatening in the contralateral eye. Despite significant potential morbidity, disease remains poorly understood. Variable presentations and clinical courses, as well as a lack of definitive diagnostic laboratory tests can complicate the diagnosis and result in delayed treatment, which can beget permanent vision loss. This review focuses on recent advances in areas of pathophysiology, classification, diagnosis and treatment. RECENT FINDINGS: Sympathetic ophthalmia is thought to involve a cell-mediated immune response to retinal and uveal antigens exposed through trauma or surgery. Multiple mechanisms have been implicated, including activation of the interleukin-23/IL-17 pathway. Ongoing emphasis is placed on early disease recognition and prompt treatment with multimodal imaging. Multiple authors advocate for the routine use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for screening and disease monitoring. Systemic steroids and steroids sparing-immunosuppressive agents remain the mainstay of treatment. SUMMARY: Understanding pathophysiology may provide useful targets for drug development, as well as allow for identification of patients at risk. OCT is a useful tool in early diagnosis and management of sympathetic ophthalmia, as OCT changes may precede clinical symptoms and signs, allowing for early disease detection and better visual outcomes.

Sympathetic Ophthalmia - a Contribution to Immunology, Clinic and Current Imaging. / Sympathische Ophthalmie ­ ein Beitrag zur Immunologie, Klinik und aktuellen Bildgebung.

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare inflammation of an operated or injured eye that spreads to the fellow eye. It is typically a bilateral granulomatous panuveitis. The traumatized eye is referred to as inciting eye and the fellow eye as sympathizing eye. The pathophysiology of the disease is not entirely understood, but there is strong evidence of an autoimmune genesis. PATIENTS/MATERIAL AND METHODS: A selective literature search on epidemiology, immunology, clinical features and risk factors of SO was carried out. In addition, our own experience using multimodal imaging for this clinical entity was introduced. RESULTS: In the literature, the incidence after traumatic eye injuries is 0.1 - 3% and approximately 0.01% after intraocular surgery. Among the iatrogenic causes, vitreoretinal surgery has the highest rate of SO, presumably due to disruption of the blood-retinal barrier and involvement of retinal and choroidal tissue, which are susceptible to anterior traction, phthisis and chronic inflammation. In 90% of patients, the disease develops within a year following the eliciting event and is associated with a potentially bilateral risk of blindness. Typical symptoms include bilateral visual impairment with photophobia, dull pain and photopsia. The spectrum of clinical manifestations ranges from granulomatous anterior uveitis and vitritis, to choroiditis, serous retinal detachment and Dalen-Fuchs nodules in the context of posterior involvement. The diagnosis of SO is generally based on clinical presentation and is supported by imaging methods. These primarily comprise fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, which are increasingly being supplemented by non-invasive methods such as optical coherence tomography. They can provide important information for assessment of severity, differential diagnosis as well as for disease monitoring. The differential diagnosis includes i. a. Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, ocular sarcoidosis and the rare phacoanaphylactic endophthalmitis. Immediate systemic high-dose steroid therapy is used as initial treatment. The course of the disease is often relapsing to chronic progressive. Immunomodulators such as ciclosporine A, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, and biologics are increasingly being used and contribute to the significantly better prognosis of the disease. Generally, SO can be triggered by any kind of intraocular intervention. CONCLUSION: SO remains a threatening clinical diagnosis that poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. It can be triggered post-traumatic, but also any intraocular surgery. This should be taken into account when assessing the indication for intraocular eye surgery, especially in eyes with reduced visual outcome.

Analysis of 130 Cases of Sympathetic Ophthalmia - A Retrospective Multicenter Case Series.

Objective: To analyze the demographic profile, treatment, and visual outcome of the patients with sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) in a multicenter collaborative retrospective cohort study.Methods: Medical records of the patients with SO from UK, Singapore, India were reviewed for history of ocular trauma or surgery and subsequent development of uveitis consistent with SO, presenting symptoms, treatment, and visual outcomes.Results: A total of 130 patients were diagnosed with SO during the study period. Eighty-one (62.3%) patients were men. The mean age was 48.4 ± 15.5 years. The most common presenting symptom was blurring of vision (89.2%), followed by pain (29.2%) and floaters (23.8%). Ninety-two (70.7%) required additional immunosuppressive therapy. Thirty-six (27.9%) patients underwent enucleation of the inciting eye.Conclusions: SO is a potentially sight-threatening disease with high rates of visual loss. It warrants prompt evaluation and treatment. With the advances and availability in immunotherapy, the visual prognosis is relatively good.

Postsurgical sympathetic ophthalmia: retrospective analysis of a rare entity.

PURPOSE: To describe clinical manifestations, management and visual outcome in postsurgical sympathetic ophthalmia (SO). METHODS: Retrospective study. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 41.1 years, and males were affected 1.8 times than the female. Vitrectomy and scleral buckling were the most common inciting surgeries followed by cataract surgery. Among 10 eyes with anterior uveitis, mutton-fat keratic precipitate was seen in only two eyes. Mean follow-up duration was 1556.50 ± 1470.75 days. Vision significantly improved in 11 patients (78.6%; p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Postsurgical SO is a rare entity, but it is a bilateral blinding disease and SO following surgical intervention can have variable presentations. Rapid, effective management of postsurgical sympathetic ophthalmia can give improved visual outcomes.

[Current research of sympathetic ophthalmia].

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare, bilateral, non-necrotizing, granulomatous uveitis that usually occurs after open ocular injury or intraocular surgery. The pathophysiology is not clearly understood, but generally SO is an immediate hypersensitivity mediated by T lymphocytes which are related to ocular tissue antigens. The main histopathological features are granulation tissues composed of lymphocytes, macrophages and multinucleated giant cells. The clinical manifestations are different from person to person, which might be mild or severe. Although it could be presented with anterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis and posterior uveitis, panuveitis is the most common sign. The ophthalmic examinations, such as fundus fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography and B-scan, could be used to observe the patients' conditions and monitor the therapeutic effect. The main treatment of SO is medical therapy with corticosteroids, immunomodulators and biomodulators. Topical drug administration, including intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide and implantation of a fluocinolone acetonide implant, can be considered. There is controversy about whether enucleation or evisceration is more appropriate and when the procedure should be done. The prognosis of SO could be poor. SO is liable to deteriorate and may lead to blindness. This article reviews the etiology, mechanisms, histopathology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of SO. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53:778-782).

Sympathetic ophthalmia: a review of literature.

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO), also known assympathetic uveitis, is a rare bilateral granulomatous panuveitis that occurs after a penetrating injury to an eye. After injury from either surgery or accident, a variable period of time passes before a sight-threatening inflammation develops in both the eyes. The disease usually responds rapidly to corticosteroid therapy, but recalcitrant cases may require the addition of other immunosuppressive agents. A severely injured eye with no prognosis for vision should be enucleated within 2 weeks of injury to prevent SO. The purpose of this article is to highlight the risks of SO associated with the orbital fractures involving soft tissue components of the orbit. Though unusual, a maxillofacial surgeon, while operating on the orbital walls involving the soft tissue disruption, has to be aware of this condition so that the postoperative complications related to vision can be avoided.

Sympathetic ophthalmia following vitreoretinal surgery.

The objective is to discuss the characteristics of three patients who developed sympathetic ophthalmia following vitreoretinal surgery. The first case was a 29-year-old man who underwent placement of an encircling band, pars plana vitrectomy, foreign body removal, endolaser photocoagulation, transscleral cryotherapy, and silicone oil injection due to a retained foreign body 3 months after a corneoscleral rupture repair. He experienced visual loss in the fellow eye 2 months after the vitrectomy. An extensive exudative detachment was detected in the fellow eye. Sympathetic ophthalmia was diagnosed and systemic steroids together with azathioprine were initiated. The injured eye was enucleated as there was no useful vision. The other two cases were operated for rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. One underwent placement of an encircling band, pars plana vitrectomy, silicone oil injection, and endolaser photocoagulation with good anatomic outcome. However, 4 months later, the fellow eye experienced severe visual loss with disc swelling and hyperemia and exudative retinal detachment. Systemic steroid was sufficient to reverse the process and the visual acuity recovered. The other case underwent placement of an encircling band, subretinal fluid drainage, SF(6) injection and 360 degrees indirect laser photocoagulation. Two years later, he noted a sudden visual decrease in the fellow eye in which we detected a Harada-like extensive exudative detachment. Systemic steroid without immunosuppressive therapy rendered regression of the detachment and recovery of good visual acuity. Sympathetic ophthalmia may occur following vitreoretinal surgery either for trauma-related problems or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Since it may present with relatively mild anterior segment findings and mainly posterior segment involvement; any visual disturbance in the fellow eye of a patient with a history of perforating trauma or vitreoretinal surgery should be thoroughly evaluated for sympathetic ophthalmia.

[Use of plasmapheresis-based extracorporeal hemocorrection in the treatment of endogenic uveitis and autoimmune eye diseases].

The paper gives the methods of plasmapheresis-based extracorporeal exposure to blood and its components to correct hemostatic disorders. Afferent methods, as well as quantum hemotherapy methods are outlined. The immunomodulating mechanism of their action, which favors a prompter elimination of inflammation, increases ocular functions, and reduces recurrences, is revealed. The mechanisms of action of plasmapheresis as a technique used alone and in combination with laser and ultraviolet blood irradiation and indications for and contraindications to the use of various hemocorrection methods are described.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia, enigmatic malady]. / Ophtalmie sympathique, maladie énigmatique.

Sympathetic ophthalmia was a well-known but greatly feared entity in the 19th and most of the 20th century. This article reviews the Canadian medical literature, tracing the prophylactic and therapeutic modalities offered to treat this blinding affliction.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia]. / Sympathische Ophthalmie.

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare, bilateral granulomatous uveitis that occurs after either surgical or accidental trauma to one eye. The etiology is still not completely clear, but evidence suggests that sympathetic ophthalmia represents an autoimmune inflammatory response against choroidal melanocytes mediated by T cells. Key features are vision impairment and symptoms associated with inflammation. The diagnosis is based on a history of previous ocular trauma or surgery and clinical findings. Differential diagnoses include other causes of granulomatous uveitis, such as Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, and syphilis. Depending on the suspected etiology, treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia consists of systemic anti-inflammatory agents, including corticosteroids and immunomodulating drugs. The role of enucleation after the diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia remains controversial. Visual prognosis is reasonably good with prompt appropriate wound repair and immunomodulatory therapy. As the occurrence of sympathetic ophthalmia is probably more frequent following vitreoretinal surgery, more attention has to be paid to this potentially bilateral blinding disorder.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia--clinical case]. / Oftalmia simpatica --caz clinic.

This paper presents a case of Sympathetic ophthalmia following a penetrating ocular injury produced 30 days ago, of a patient who postponed the presentation to the ophthalmologist.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia, case report]. / Oftalmia simpatica, prezentare de caz.

We present the case of a 61 years old male, who developed symphathetic ophthalmia, following a penetrating injury in one eye. After the injury had been sutured, the traumatized eye was red and painful. Considering the risk of sympathetic ophthalmia, the doctor decided the enucleation of the injured eye, but the patient refused and he had not come back to the recommended follow-ups. He returned to the hospital seven months later with decreased visual acuity in both eyes, caused by bilateral uveitis. The diagnosis was sympathetic ophthalmia. He improved and recovered an acceptable visual acuity after enucleation of the injured eye and the administration of both topical and systemic steroids. But the premature stopping of the maintenance therapy with low-dose systemic steroids, results in a relapse--a worse uveitis.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia]. / Sympatická oftalmie.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of treatment on prevention of disease development and protection of visual outcomes in patients suffering from sympathetic ophthalmia. METHODS: Retrospective case. RESULTS: Four patients with sympathetic ophthalmia were treated in our department from 1999 to 2004. All patients were men with the mean age 27.5 years (15-49 years). In two patients, there was a history of penetrating eye injury prior to the onset of sympathetic ophthalmia, in other two patients sympathetic ophthalmia occurred after eye surgery (pars plana vitrectomy), with no previous ocular trauma. Two patients were treated with monotherapy of corticosteroids; other two patients were commenced on combined immunosuppression. In all these cases, the therapy was effective. CONCLUSION: Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare, sight-threatening eye disease. Among the triggering factors dominates penetrating eye injury, however, there is currently an increase in the number of cases with sympathetic ophthalmia following eye surgery, mainly pars plana vitrectomy. Early introduction of immunosuppressive treatment can get the disease under control, prevent the development of intraocular inflammation and improve visual outcomes.

Sympathetic ophthalmia in Singapore: new trends in an old disease.

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is an uncommon uveitic condition that occurs after injury to the uvea of one eye and may occur after accidental ocular trauma or ocular surgery. We sought to investigate the common causes of SO in Singapore and the demographic profile as well as the final visual acuity after treatment in these patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective, non-comparative case series in which patients with SO were identified from the Singapore National Eye Centre uveitis database in the period between 1993 and 2003. The patients' case records were examined for a history of ocular trauma or surgery and subsequent development of bilateral or contralateral uveitis consistent with SO or histopathological evidence of SO in enucleated eyes. The medical records of these patients were reviewed for details of the inciting event, presentation, treatment, and visual acuity. RESULTS: A total of ten patients (six men and four women) were diagnosed with SO in the period of study. SO occurred after accidental trauma in three patients and following ocular surgery in seven. Vitreoretinal surgery was responsible for four of these cases, and diode laser cyclophotoablation for another two, whereas neodymium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser cyclotherapy was the cause in the last patient. Overall, six of ten patients underwent at least one vitreoretinal procedure. Four of the patients had a final visual acuity of 6/15 or better, whereas five had a visual acuity of 6/30 or worse. Good final visual acuity appeared to be associated with early initiation of immunosuppressive therapy. CONCLUSION: In this series, ocular surgery, especially vitreoretinal surgery, had overtaken non-surgical trauma as the major cause of SO. A good outcome was possible in most cases if an early diagnosis was made and immunosuppressive treatment started promptly.

Sympathetic ophthalmia.

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare, bilateral granulomatous uveitis that occurs after either surgical or accidental trauma to one eye. The ocular inflammation in the fellow eye becomes apparent usually within 3 months after injury. Clinical presentation is an insidious or acute anterior uveitis with mutton-fat keratic precipitates. The posterior segment manifests moderate to severe vitritis, usually accompanied by multiple yellowish-white choroidal lesions. Evidence suggests that sympathetic ophthalmia represents an autoimmune inflammatory response against choroidal melanocytes mediated by T cells. Diagnosis is based on clinical findings and a history of previous ocular trauma or surgery. Other causes of granulomatous uveitis, such as Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, and syphilis should be considered. Treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia consists of systemic anti-inflammatory agents with high dose oral corticosteroid as the drug of choice. However, if the inflammation cannot be controlled, cyclosporine is then used. Other immunosuppressive agents, such as chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide or azathioprine, may be necessary for the control of inflammation. The role of enucleation after the diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia remains controversial. Visual prognosis is reasonably good with prompt wound repair and appropriate immunomodulatory therapy.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia as complication of perforated wound of the eye]. / Simpaticka oftalmija kao komplikacija perforirane povrede oka.

Symphatetic uveitis was a fairly common and described disease in 19th century. Many cases of bilateral blindncss associated with injury and inflammation were diagnosed as sympathetic ophthalmia. A penetrating wound appears to be essential for the development of symphathetic ophthalmia. Since the antigen-presenting cell, of the eye appear to be functionally suppressed in situ, these antigens normaly would produce an inactivation signal. Authors present a case of 7 years old boy, who had injury of the right eye in the school. We performed surgery, but that right eye after several months went to subatrophy. Three months later, he come again with problems in left eye. We diagnosed symphatetic ophthalmia and included high doses of steroids. Two years after he is still on high dose of steroids due to two times of egxazcrbation. A month ago we perfomed phacoecmulsofication cataract syrgery, because a cataract developed due to high doses of steroid therapy.