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We report the long-term follow-up of an immunocompetent patient who presented with slowly progressive endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to Streptococcus anginosus. A 46-year-old healthy man presented with a two-month history of right eye iritis. On examination, visual acuity was 20/60 with intraocular pressure of 6 mm Hg. There was a small layer of hypopyon with non-granulomatous anterior uveitis and vitritis. On funduscopy, fluffy white peripheral retinal and pre-retinal lesions were noted in superonasal periphery. The patient denied any present or past illness. Diagnostic pars plana vitrectomy was performed. Culture and polymerase chain reaction of the vitreous sample were positive for Streptococcus anginosus. Intravitreal vancomycin and ceftazidime and systemic ceftriaxone were administered. Work-up which included blood and urine cultures, chest x-ray, echocardiography and abdominal ultrasound was unyielding. Subsequently and because of persistent post-infectious inflammatory reaction, intravitreal and oral steroids were administered in addition to oral azathioprine later on. After one year of follow-up, visual acuity was 20/20 with near vision of Jaeger 3 + and no signs of active uveitis were seen. Therefore, Streptococcus anginosus should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a slowly progressive endophthalmitis also in immunocompetent individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the effect of pregnancy on the clinical course, outcome, and treatment in multiparous women with non-infectious uveitis. Methods: Retrospective study of women with a history of non-infectious uveitis and pregnancies prior to and during disease course. Disease activity and severity 1-year prior pregnancy, during pregnancy, and 1-year postpartum were recorded as well as patients' and diseases' characteristics. The main outcome measures included the rate and severity of uveitis attacks and the effect on ocular complications and therapies. Results: Included were 32 women (70 pregnancies, mean of 2.6 pregnancies/patient), with a mean follow-up time of 6.5 years. The most common uveitis types were anterior (31%) and pan-uveitis (31%). Flare-ups were more frequent in the year prior to pregnancy, in the first trimester, and in the postpartum period and decreased markedly during pregnancy. Women who experienced a flare-up during pregnancy had a higher rate of flare-ups in the year prior pregnancy than those who did not experience a flare-up during pregnancy (p-0.047). The rate of flare-ups 12 months' postpartum was also higher compared to women without any flare-up during pregnancy (p = 0.01). Severity of flare-ups in the postpartum period was worse in women who experienced a flare-up during pregnancy compared to women without flare-ups (p = 0.001). The severity of flare-ups was higher in the first pregnancy compared to subsequent pregnancies. Conclusions: Women who had active or non-controlled uveitis prior to pregnancy have higher disease activity and severity during pregnancy as well. The first pregnancy seems to behave differently from subsequent pregnancies, in terms of disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The EyeCOPE study characterized noninfectious intermediate posterior, or panuveitis (NIIPPU) before biologic agents were widely available. Methods: This retrospective, observational study included adults with NIIPPU attending a routine ophthalmological visit. Data were collected from the study visit and medical records. Results: Of 565 patients, 58.8% were female, and the mean age was 41.3 years; 33.8% had idiopathic uveitis and 45.8% had panuveitis. The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis and treatment was 27.0 and 30.5 days, respectively. Patients received immunosuppressants and systemic/local corticosteroids. Most patients experienced substantial decline in ocular function (mean best corrected visual acuity, 0.4 logMAR). Mean total work productivity impairment among employed patients was 31.0%. Most patients reported ocular complications (70.8%) such as vision loss and cataracts. Conclusions: Despite treatment, most patients with NIIPPU experienced a decline in ocular function and ocular complications. There is an unmet need for additional NIIPPU treatment, such as targeted monoclonal antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pars planitis is a commonly observed type of pediatric uveitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implications of pars planitis–associated cystoid macular edema (CME) on visual outcome and treatment modalities. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records in a single center with academic practice. Results: Included were 33 children (mean age 8 years, 58 eyes). Eighteen eyes developed CME (31%): in 67% of them, CME was diagnosed at presentation and in 33%, it developed at a mean of 57 months after presentation. Anterior and posterior segment complications were more prevalent in eyes with CME. Papillitis was significantly associated with the development of CME (OR 12.4, 95% CI 2.3 to 65.6, p = 0.003). Patients with CME were 1.7 times more likely to be treated with systemic therapy. By the last follow-up, 50% of patients who never developed CME were without systemic therapy compared with 13% of patients who developed CME (p = 0.034). LogMAR visual acuity improvement between presentation and month 36 was 0.41 for eyes with CME compared with 0.14 for eyes that never developed CME (p = 0.009). Conclusion: Pars planitis–associated CME entailed higher prevalence of ocular complications, more frequent use of immunomodulatory therapy, and a lower rate of remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocular inflammation resulting from a lens pathology is rare in the absence of a cataract or lens trauma because of the lens' immune privilege. The lens can be a source of ocular inflammation when the capsule is broken or when lens proteins leak out through an intact capsule. These uveitides are termed lens-induced uveitis (LIU) and are often associated with advanced cataracts. Cataracts are part of the normal aging process, and in today's world, cataract surgery is a safe and affordable means of vision restoration in the developed world. In patients with neglected cataracts and in the developing world where cataract surgery rates are lower, LIU rates are higher together with the associated complications. In this literature review, we intend to equip the armamentarium of the practicing ophthalmologist with an updated knowledge on the demographic features, clinical characteristics, treatment options, and outcomes of LIU. This is to highlight the need for timely management of cataracts before the development of advanced cataracts and LIU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study is to report two new cases of Usher syndrome associated with Fuchs’ heterochromic uveitis (FHU), to confirm our previous observation of the association between FHU and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and to evaluate if FHU is particularly associated with Usher syndrome. Methods: Retrospective medical record review of all new RP cases at Hadassah Medical Center between the years 2000 and 2007, review of our previously published data, and a meta-analysis of published relevant articles in peer reviewed journals. Results: During the time frame of the study we diagnosed 58 new cases of RP, of whom one male and one female had the typical findings of FHU, and both had Usher syndrome type II. The difference in the occurrence of FHU between the 616 controls and the patients with RP was significant ( p = 0.0073, Fisher's exact test). In our combined data, FHU occurred only in two types of RP; RP simplex with an incidence of 0.57%, and Usher syndrome with an incidence of 13.5%. This difference between the incidence of FHU in patients with Usher syndrome and other types of RP was significant ( p < 0.0001, Fisher's exact test). Adding up these two cases with what is already published in the literature makes up a total of 17 RP patients with coexisting FHU. Conclusions: This study confirms the association between FHU and RP; and a particularly stronger association with Usher syndrome type II. Although infectious agents seem to play a role, the cause for this significant correlation is still unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]