Angioinvasive aspergillosis mimicking giant cell arteritis in an 81-year-old man with jaw pain and vision loss.

The present case report focuses on an immunocompromised 81-year-old patient initially diagnosed with Waldenström's disease. The patient experienced a gradual vision loss and jaw pain with high erythrocyte sedimentation rate. We first suspected giant cell arteritis, despite inconclusive assessment, including a negative temporal artery biopsy. We rapidly started a corticosteroid pulse therapy followed by high-dose corticosteroid therapy that was followed even after discharge from the hospital. The patient was readmitted 20 days later with severe left retro-orbital pain and progressive left vision loss. Clinical examination revealed complete left eyelid ptosis and unilateral blindness with fixed mydriasis and no eye movement. MRI showed signs of ischaemic optic neuropathy with lysis of the left ethmoid sinus wall; thus, indicating ischaemic optic neuropathy related to lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of Waldenström's disease (Bing-Neel syndrome). Oncological treatment of ibrutinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was then administered. Despite a favourable prognosis, no improvement was seen. An infectious aetiology was finally confirmed. The left sphenoid sinus biopsy highlighted an angioinvasive aspergillosis with rhino-orbital infiltration observed as ischaemic optic neuropathy. Oncologic treatment was discontinued and antifungal therapy with voriconazole was introduced, leading to a favourable radiological development and analgesic control, without ophtalmological improvement.

Uso de fármacos inmunomoduladores en una consulta de uveítis / Use of immunomodulatory drugs at a uveitis clinic

OBJETIVO: En el tratamiento de las uveítis no infecciosas se emplean corticoides y fármacos inmunomoduladores. Su uso ha aumentado en los últimos años y se ha enriquecido con la aparición de nuevos tratamientos. Sin embargo, no existen guías ni protocolos claros de actuación. El objetivo es analizar la respuesta a los fármacos empleados y las características de los pacientes atendidos en una consulta multidisciplinaria de uveítis. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio observacional retrospectivo de los pacientes atendidos desde enero de 2012 hasta diciembre de 2015. Se excluyen las uveítis infecciosas, posquirúrgicas, postraumáticas y los síndromes de enmascaramiento. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 216 pacientes. El 58,80% son uveítis sin afectación sistémica, la mayoría idiopáticas, y el 35,65% uveítis con afectación sistémica, asociadas principalmente a espondiloartritis. Las uveítis sin afectación sistémica y las uveítis anteriores se controlaron mejor que el resto con tratamiento local (p = 0,002 y p < 0,001, respectivamente). El 49,76% de los pacientes requirió tratamiento sistémico. De los pacientes tratados con inmunomoduladores, el 53,26% precisó un segundo fármaco y el 31,52%, un tercero. Las mujeres necesitaron inmunomoduladores con más frecuencia que los varones (p = 0,042). El inmunomodulador más empleado fue metotrexato. Las uveítis posteriores respondieron al segundo inmunomodulador peor que las anteriores (p = 0,006). CONCLUSIONES: Casi la mitad de los pacientes necesitaron un fármaco inmunomodulador y algunos precisaron varios cambios sucesivos de fármaco. Las uveítis intermedias resultaron las más refractarias al tratamiento

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of noninfectious uveitis includes steroids and immunomodulatory drugs, the use of which has increased in the last few years, and the options have been enriched with the development of new treatments. However, clear therapeutic guidelines and protocols have not been developed. The purpose is to analyze the response to the drugs used and the characteristics of the patients treated at a multidisciplinary uveitis clinic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational and retrospective study of the patients attended to from January 2012 to December 2015. Infectious, posttraumatic and postoperative uveitis, as well as masquerade syndrome, were excluded. RESULTS: Two hundred six patients were included. Overall, 58.80% had uveitis without association of systemic disease, mostly idiopathic uveitis, and 35.65% had uveitis with systemic involvement, mainly related to spondyloarthritis. Uveitis without systemic association and anterior uveitis achieved disease control with local treatment more frequently than others (p=.002 and p <.001, respectively). In all, 49.76% of the patients required systemic treatment. Among those treated with immunomodulators, 53.26% needed a second drug and 31.52% needed a third drug. Women required immunomodulators more often than men (P=.042). Methotrexate was the most widely used immunomodulator. Posterior uveitis responded less favorably to the second immunomodulator than anterior uveitis (p=.006). CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the patients needed an immunomodulatory drug and some of them required successive drug changes. Intermediate uveitis was the most treatment-refractory uveitis

Use of Immunomodulatory Drugs at a Uveitis Clinic. / Uso de fármacos inmunomoduladores en una consulta de uveítis.

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of noninfectious uveitis includes steroids and immunomodulatory drugs, the use of which has increased in the last few years, and the options have been enriched with the development of new treatments. However, clear therapeutic guidelines and protocols have not been developed. The purpose is to analyze the response to the drugs used and the characteristics of the patients treated at a multidisciplinary uveitis clinic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational and retrospective study of the patients attended to from January 2012 to December 2015. Infectious, posttraumatic and postoperative uveitis, as well as masquerade syndrome, were excluded. RESULTS: Two hundred six patients were included. Overall, 58.80% had uveitis without association of systemic disease, mostly idiopathic uveitis, and 35.65% had uveitis with systemic involvement, mainly related to spondyloarthritis. Uveitis without systemic association and anterior uveitis achieved disease control with local treatment more frequently than others (p=.002 and p <.001, respectively). In all, 49.76% of the patients required systemic treatment. Among those treated with immunomodulators, 53.26% needed a second drug and 31.52% needed a third drug. Women required immunomodulators more often than men (P=.042). Methotrexate was the most widely used immunomodulator. Posterior uveitis responded less favorably to the second immunomodulator than anterior uveitis (p=.006). CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the patients needed an immunomodulatory drug and some of them required successive drug changes. Intermediate uveitis was the most treatment-refractory uveitis.