Sympathetic ophthalmia: incidence of ocular complications and vision loss in the sympathizing eye

Association Between HLA Polymorphisms and Sympathetic Ophthalmia in Han Chinese

PURPOSE

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is considered as an autoimmune disease with unclear mechanisms. This study investigated the relationship between HLA polymorphisms and SO.

METHODS

HLA typing was performed using the LABType reverse SSO DNA typing method. The allele and haplotype frequencies were assessed using the PyPop software. Statistical significance of genotype distributions between 116 patients and 84 healthy individuals (control) was determined using Fisher's exact test or Pearson's chi-squared test.

RESULTS

The SO group had a higher frequency of HLA-DRB1 * 04:05, HLA-DQB1 * 04:01, DRB1 * 04:05-DQB1 * 04:01 haplotype   as compared to the control group (Pc < 0.001 for all).

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that DRB1 * 04:05 and DQB1 * 04:01 alleles, as well as DRB1 * 04:05-DQB1 * 04:01 haplotye could be potential risk factors for SO.

Incidence of Sympathetic Ophthalmia after Intraocular Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

TOPIC

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare bilateral granulomatous panuveitis that can present after trauma or intraocular surgery (IOS). The incidence of SO after IOS varies among studies. The purpose of this review was to determine the incidence proportion of SO after IOS.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The incidence proportion of SO after IOS can provide physicians and patients with information on the risk of SO during the consent process before surgery.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to January 1, 2023 for population-based studies of SO after IOS. Two reviewers independently screened the results. Random-effects meta-analyses calculated incidence proportion. Subgroup analysis assessed SO incidence based on IOS type and technological advancements. Study quality and bias were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework.

RESULTS

The final meta-analyses included 19 studies, with 118 cases of SO occurring after 505 178 inciting events. The estimated overall incidence proportion of SO after IOS was 0.061% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.033%-0.111%; I2 = 83%), and the estimated incidence rate was 9.24 cases per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 4.03-21.19; I2 = 88%). The average study duration across these studies was 10.8 years. Within the reviewed literature, SO after glaucoma and vitreoretinal IOS was studied most, with 9 and 6 studies, respectively. Observed differences in incidence between glaucoma (0.098%; 95% CI, 0.042%-0.232%; I2 = 40%) and vitreoretinal (0.043%; 95% CI, 0.022%-0.085%; I2 = 88%) IOS were not statistically significant (P = 0.14). Also, no significant difference was found in the incidence proportion before and after 1975, when modern intraocular surgical techniques emerged (0.060% vs. 0.058%; P = 0.98). The outcome measures showed low-certainty Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation evidence.

DISCUSSION

Sympathetic ophthalmia after IOS is rare and might not have changed over the past 5 decades. The estimated incidence proportion of SO may be useful during the consent process before surgery. Also, no significant difference may exist in the incidence of SO between glaucoma and vitreoretinal IOS, based on low-certainty evidence.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Long-term clinical outcomes of patients with sympathetic ophthalmia

PURPOSE

To present the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with sympathetic ophthalmia (SO).

METHODS

Retrospective review of patients' medical files between 2002 and 2022.

RESULTS

Included were seven patients (four males). The mean ± SD age at presentation was 37.9 ± 22.5 years. Four patients had co-morbidities: three had diabetes mellitus type 2 and one had Turner Syndrome. Trauma was the inciting event in six patients and postoperative endophthalmitis in one patient. Decreased visual acuity (VA) was the leading symptom in the sympathizing eye and all of the patients presented with panuveitis. The mean ± SD interval between the triggering incident and the onset of SO in six cases was 4.3 ± 4.2 months. One case presented 30 years following the eye injury. Five patients underwent enucleation/evisceration of the exciting eye. The mean ± SD presenting LogMAR BCVA in the sympathizing eye was 0.57 ± 0.82, and the final LogMAR BCVA was 0.61 ± 0.95. Inflammation was completely controlled in 5 patients at a mean ± SD of 8.55 ± 9.21 months following the institution of immunomodulatory therapy, and it was partially controlled in 2 patients. VA deteriorated in all 3 diabetic patients and improved or remained stable in the 4 young and healthy patients. The mean ± SD follow-up period after achieving drug-free remission was 28 ± 22.8 months. The mean ± SD follow-up time was 6.8 ± 5.6 years.

CONCLUSIONS

SO is one of the most sight-threatening conditions, affecting the healthy eye. In this cohort, the favorable visual outcome was especially seen in young and healthy individuals. Visual prognosis is directly related to prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Sympathetic Ophthalmia in Patients with Enucleation or Evisceration: Pathology Laboratory and IRIS® Registry Experience

Introduction

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare bilateral granulomatous panuveitis that can follow surgical or nonsurgical ocular trauma in one eye. Because its diagnosis requires clinical-pathologic correlation, the true incidence of SO is unknown, and there is a need to understand the recent trends in risk factors and frequency of this condition.

Methods

Pathology records of all enucleated or eviscerated (ENEV) eyes at three pathology laboratories were reviewed. Data collected included patient demographics, procedure indication, pathology diagnosis, and clinical history of trauma and uveitis. IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) was searched for all patients with SO, acquired absence of eye (AAE), and/or ENEV. Data obtained included patient demographics, ocular procedures, and preoperative diagnoses within 30 days of AAE/ENEV.

Results

In the pathology laboratory setting, the incidence of SO over a 36-year period in patients who underwent ENEV was 0.2% (20/9,092); the 5-year incidence ranged from 0.0 to 0.3%. Among the 20 eyes with SO, the inciting event was surgical trauma in 50% (10/20), nonsurgical trauma in 45% (9/20), and missing/undetermined in 5% (1/20). SO was suspected preoperatively in 7/20 (35%) patients. Clinical concern for SO and ruptured globe were indications for ENEV in 50/9,092 (0.5%) and 872/9,092 (10%) patients, respectively. In the IRIS Registry, 0.7% (199/27,830) of patients with AAE/ENEV had diagnosis of SO. The frequency of SO between 2015 and 2020 was 0.01% (7,371/62,318,249); of these 7,371 cases, 199 (3%) had AAE/ENEV. In 25,975 patients with available data, injury and SO were listed as diagnoses less than 30 days prior to AAE/ENEV in 909 (4%) and 63 (0.2%) cases, respectively.

Conclusion

The frequency of SO in recent decades has been low. Most cases of SO are not managed with eye removal. In histopathology-confirmed SO, surgical trauma is as frequent as nonsurgical trauma as an inciting etiology of disease.

Vision Outcomes of Long-Term Immunomodulatory and Steroid Therapy in Sympathetic Ophthalmia

PURPOSE

To compare vision acuity outcomes of long-term steroid therapy compared with immunomodulatory therapy for treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia.

DESIGN

Single-center, retrospective, comparative clinical study.

METHODS

Patients with sympathetic ophthalmia treated from March 2005 to October 2022 with at least 1 year of follow-up were included. Visual acuity outcomes were compared by steroid and immunomodulatory treatment modality.

RESULTS

Thirty-five patients with sympathetic ophthalmia were included in the study, with follow-up ranging from 1 to 17 years. Higher rates of vision loss correlated with longer periods of active uveitis and steroid treatment. Lower rates of vision loss correlated with longer periods of uveitis remission on immunomodulatory therapy alone and drug-free remission. Treatment with alkylating agents or combination therapy with an antimetabolite, a biologic-response modifier, and cyclosporine are more likely to result in sympathetic ophthalmia remission.

CONCLUSION

Immunomodulatory therapy leads to superior vision outcomes in cases of steroid-resistant or recurrent sympathetic ophthalmia. Steroid therapy may be useful for acute or recalcitrant sympathetic uveitis but is insufficient for long-term inflammatory control. PRéCIS: This manuscript describes a retrospective analysis of vision outcomes in patients with sympathetic ophthalmia. Results indicate that long-term immunomodulatory therapy is associated with better vision outcomes than long-term steroid therapy for sympathetic ophthalmia treatment.

Sympathetic Ophthalmia after Vitreoretinal Surgery without Antecedent History of Trauma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the morbidity frequency measures in terms of the cumulative incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) triggered by single or multiple vitreoretinal (VR) surgery procedures in eyes without an antecedent history of trauma and previous ocular surgery, except for previous or concomitant uneventful lens extraction, and to further investigate the relationship between VR surgery and SO.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus from inception until 11 November 2022. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for the case series and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale were used to assess the risk of bias. The research was registered with the PROSPERO database (identifier, CRD42023397792). Meta-analyses were conducted using the measurement of risk and a 95% confidence interval (CI) for each study.

RESULTS

A random-effect meta-analysis demonstrated that the pooled cumulative incidence of SO triggered by single or multiple VR surgery procedures in eyes without an antecedent history of trauma and previous ocular surgery, except for previous or concomitant uneventful lens extraction among patients who developed SO regardless of the main trigger, was equal to 0.14 with a CI between 0.08 and 0.21 (I2 = 78.25, z: 7.24, p < 0.01). The pooled cumulative incidence of SO triggered by single or multiple VR surgery procedures in eyes without an antecedent history of trauma and previous ocular surgery, except for previous or concomitant uneventful lens extraction among patients who underwent VR surgery, was equal to 0.03 for every 100 people, with a confidence interval (CI) between 0.02% and 0.004% (I2 = 27.77, z: 9.11, p = 0.25).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite postsurgical SO being a rare entity, it is a sight-threatening disease. VR surgery should be viewed as a possible inciting event for SO and considered when counseling patients undergoing VR surgery.

Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review with Focus on the Visual System

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major global public health problem. Neurological damage from TBI may be mild, moderate, or severe and occurs both immediately at the time of impact (primary injury) and continues to evolve afterwards (secondary injury). In mild (m)TBI, common symptoms are headaches, dizziness and fatigue. Visual impairment is especially prevalent. Insomnia, attentional deficits and memory problems often occur. Neuroimaging methods for the management of TBI include computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The location and the extent of injuries determine the motor and/or sensory deficits that result. Parietal lobe damage can lead to deficits in sensorimotor function, memory, and attention span. The processing of visual information may be disrupted, with consequences such as poor hand-eye coordination and balance. TBI may cause lesions in the occipital or parietal lobe that leave the TBI patient with incomplete homonymous hemianopia. Overall, TBI can interfere with everyday life by compromising the ability to work, sleep, drive, read, communicate and perform numerous activities previously taken for granted. Treatment and rehabilitation options available to TBI sufferers are inadequate and there is a pressing need for new ways to help these patients to optimize their functioning and maintain productivity and participation in life activities, family and community.

Sympathetic ophthalmia in eye with pathologic myopia

PURPOSE

To present our findings in a case of SO that developed in an eye with pathologic myopia.

OBSERVATIONS

The patient was an 83-year-old woman who was examined one month after an ocular trauma to the right eye. She was found to have signs of uveitis with multiple serous retinal detachments in the non-injured contralateral left eye. In addition, she had hearing loss and mononuclear pleocytosis of the spinal fluids. Swept-source OCT images showed focal and choroidal thickening in areas with abrupt edges that was restricted to the regions with more normal appearing choroid. Bruch's membrane was damaged at the edge of the focal choroidal thickening. The ocular and systemic findings were rapidly resolved after systemic corticosteroid therapy.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE

The pathobiological and clinical course of SO is nearly identical to Vogt-Koyanagi Harada disease (VKH) although its pathogenesis of autoimmunity had not been definitively established. In eyes with pathologic myopia, the choroid is extremely thin and sometimes completely absent. The findings in this rare case indicate that in eyes with thin choroid, the OCT findings typical of SO might be different from those seen in non-highly myopic eyes. Thus, the pre-status of the choroid may affect the choroidal thickening in pathological conditions. This case gives us a valuable insight in understanding the pathology of SO and characteristic of pathologic myopia.

The Incidence of Sympathetic Ophthalmia After Trauma: A Meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare, bilateral panuveitis that occurs following open globe injury (OGI), with a variable incidence reported in the literature. Our objective was to determine the incidence proportion and incidence rate of SO following OGI to help guide shared physician-patient decision making.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases from inception to November 2020 for population-based studies on OGI and SO in adults and children. Two reviewers independently screened search results. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to calculate the incidence proportion and incidence rate. The Risk Of Bias In Non-Randomized Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool was used to assess the risk of bias. The study was registered on PROSPERO CRD42020198920.

RESULTS

A total of 24 studies were utilized in the meta-analyses. After OGI, the estimated overall incidence proportion of SO was 0.19% (95% CI 0.14%-0.24%) and the incidence rate of SO was 33 per 100,000 person-years, (95% CI 19.61-56.64) with I² of 13% and 72%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

SO after OGI is rare. The estimated incidence proportion and incidence rate are useful when counselling patients regarding management options after OGI. Further studies are needed to examine the influence of age, the extent and location of trauma, timing of repair, and prophylactic eye removal on the incidence of SO.

The Risk of Sympathetic Ophthalmia Following Vitreoretinal Surgery

PURPOSE

To investigate the clinical course and the outcomes of sympathetic ophthalmia and correlate these with the nature of the inciting event and the number of vitreoretinal procedures undergone by patients.

DESIGN

A retrospective case review.

SUBJECTS

All patients diagnosed with sympathetic ophthalmia who have been treated or monitored at a single centre over a 15 year period.

METHODS

A search of the electronic patient record system at Moorfields Eye Hospital, Londo over a 15 year period (between January 2000 and December 2015) was carried out, using the search terms "sympathetic", "ophthalmia" and "ophthalmitis". 61 patients with available records were identified and data collected from their complete electronic and paper records.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome measures looked at were the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 1 year and at the end of follow up and the number of vitreoretinal surgical procedures preceding the diagnosis. Data was also collected to report on patient age, gender, disease duration, ocular and systemic manifestations, ocular complications, retinal angiography and treatment.

RESULTS

There was a wide age range at presentation (2-84) and the length of follow up ranged 1-75 years. The first ocular event was trauma in 40 patients and surgery in 21. Vitreoretinal (VR) surgery accounted for 13 of the 21 surgical first event triggers (62%). 23/61 patients (38%) underwent VR surgery (1-7 operations) at some point prior to diagnosis. Surgical details were available for 15 patients, who had a total of 25 VR procedures carried out. Based on the surgical activity of the unit, the risk of developing SO following a single VR procedure is estimated at 0.008%, rising to 6.67% with 7 procedures. A total of 23 patients (38%) experienced a decrease in acuity at the end of the follow up period, versus 9 patients (15%) experiencing an improvement and 18 (30%) remaining unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

We feel that the most significant finding in this study is the calculated risk of SO development following a single VR procedure, which is significantly lower in our cohort than previously reported in the literature. This is seen to rise exponentially with additional procedures.

Sympathetic Ophthalmia: Where Do We Currently Stand on Treatment Strategies?

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare bilateral diffuse granulomatous panuveitis that usually results from surgical or penetrating trauma to one eye. The symptoms range from impaired near vision to pain, photophobia, and loss of visual acuity. Anterior segment manifestations include bilateral acute uveitis with mutton-fat keratic precipitates and posterior segment findings include vitritis, multifocal neurosensory retinal detachment, choroiditis, optic nerve edema, and Dalen-Fuchs nodules. The diagnosis is clinical. Ancillary investigations include fundus fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), ultrasound B scan, and autofluorescence imaging. The management options include corticosteroids (topical and systemic) as the first line along with immunomodulatory therapy started at the presentation of the disease. Recent advances include imaging with OCT-angiography, enhanced depth imaging-OCT (EDI-OCT, choroidal vascular index/CVI), targeting IL-23/IL-17 pathway, and use of biologics for the management of this rare entity. Recent advances in early diagnosis and prompt treatment has led to improved final visual outcomes in both the sympathizing and exciting eye. This review is aimed at giving a comprehensive overview of sympathetic ophthalmia along with a special emphasis on current treatment strategies and recent advances.

The Ruptured Globe, Sympathetic Ophthalmia, and the 14-Day Rule

PURPOSE

Prophylactic enucleation of a ruptured globe with no light perception within 14 days of injury to prevent sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) has been an established dictum in academic teaching for more than 100 years. This treatment strategy was originally based on observation, speculation, and careful thought, but there was never any scientific proof. This review summarizes and updates the current state of our knowledge about globe rupture and SO, examines the origin and validity of the 14-day rule, and emphasizes the importance of trying to save the traumatized eye whenever possible.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review of SO and globe rupture was performed.

RESULTS

SO is a rare disorder that may potentially occur following traumatic globe rupture as well as following a variety of other intraocular surgeries. Vitreoretinal surgery may be a more common cause than trauma according to some studies. SO may still occur despite having the eye removed within 14 days of the trauma. A variety of new medications including biologic agents are now available to treat SO with improved efficacy in suppressing the associated ocular inflammation and allowing retention of some useful vision. Removing the traumatized, blind eye may have other important psychological consequences associated with it that require consideration before eye removal is carried out. Retaining the blind, phthisical, disfigured eye avoids phantom vision and phantom pain associated with enucleation as well as providing a good platform to support and move an overlying prosthetic eye. Data on the occurrence of SO following evisceration and enucleation with and without predisposing factors confirms the exceedingly low risk.

CONCLUSION

Most civilian open globe injuries can be successfully repaired with modern, advanced microsurgical techniques currently available. Because of the exceedingly low risk of SO, even with the severity of open globe trauma during military conflicts being more devastating as a result of the blast and explosive injuries, today every attempt is made to primarily close the eye rather than primarily enucleate it, providing there is enough viable tissue to repair. The 14-day rule for eye removal after severe globe ruptures is not scientifically supported and does not always protect against SO, but the safe time period for prophylactic eye removal is not definitively known. In the exceptional cases where SO does occur, several new medications are now available that may help treat SO. We advocate saving the ruptured globe whenever possible and avoiding prophylactic enucleation to prevent the rare occurrence of SO. When an eye requires removal, evisceration is an acceptable alternative to enucleation in cases that do not harbor intraocular malignancy.

Incidence of Sympathetic Ophthalmia after Inciting Events: A National Database Study in Japan

PURPOSE

To analyze the incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) after inciting events (eye trauma or intraocular surgery).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients experiencing inciting events between 2012 and 2019. Onset of SO was defined as the first date of SO diagnosis.

METHODS

Using a nationwide administrative claims database in Japan, we calculated the cumulative incidence of SO after inciting events stratified by sex, 10-year age groups, and a categorical variable of primary or repeated, reflecting the history of inciting events in the past year (no inciting events, inciting events without trauma, or inciting events with trauma) using the Kaplan-Meier approach. We also estimated the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) by Cox regression. We then restricted the population to those with only 1 inciting event during the observation period to investigate the pure effect of each inciting event.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Cumulative incidence of SO over 60 months.

RESULTS

A total of 888 041 inciting events (704 717 patients) were eligible. The total number of SO cases was 263, and the cumulative incidence of SO was 0.044% over 60 months. Female sex was not associated with onset of SO (aHR, 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-1.29; P = 0.95). The group 40 to 49 years of age showed the highest incidence of 0.104% among the age groups (aHR vs. ≥80 years of age group [0.041%], 2.44 [95% CI, 1.56-3.80]; P < 0.001). Repeated inciting events with and without trauma showed higher incidences of SO (0.469% and 0.072%, respectively) than primary inciting events (0.036%) (aHR 11.68 [7.74-17.64] and 2.21 [95% CI, 1.59-3.07], respectively); P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). The incidence of SO after vitrectomy was much lower than after trauma (0.016% vs. 0.073%), and the incidence after scleral buckling was even lower.

CONCLUSIONS

The cumulative incidence of SO over 60 months was estimated to be 0.044% at minimum. Repeated inciting events, especially those with trauma, increased the risk of SO developing. Trauma was 4 to 5 times as likely to induce SO than vitrectomy. The present findings will be valuable for counseling patients about the risks of SO after trauma and before performing intraocular surgeries.

Classification Criteria for Sympathetic Ophthalmia

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to determine classification criteria for sympathetic ophthalmia.

DESIGN

Machine learning of cases with sympathetic ophthalmia and 5 other panuveitides.

METHODS

Cases of panuveitides were collected in an informatics-designed preliminary database, and a final database was constructed of cases achieving supermajority agreement on the diagnosis using formal consensus techniques. Cases were split into a training set and a validation set. Machine learning using multinomial logistic regression was used in the training set to determine a parsimonious set of criteria that minimized the misclassification rate among the panuveitides. The resulting criteria were evaluated in the validation set.

RESULTS

A total of 1,012 cases of panuveitides, including 110 cases of sympathetic ophthalmia, were evaluated by machine learning. The overall accuracy for panuveitides was 96.3% in the training set and 94.0% in the validation set (95% confidence interval: 89.0-96.8). Key criteria for sympathetic ophthalmia included bilateral uveitis with 1) a history of unilateral ocular trauma or surgery and 2) an anterior chamber and vitreous inflammation or a panuveitis with choroidal involvement. The misclassification rates for sympathetic ophthalmia were 4.2% in the training set and 6.7% in the validation set.

CONCLUSIONS

The criteria for sympathetic ophthalmia had a low misclassification rate and appeared to perform sufficiently well for use in clinical and translational research.

Experimental models and examination methods of retinal detachment

Retinal detachment refers to the separation of the retinal neuroepithelium and pigment epithelium, usually involving the death of photoreceptor cells. Severe detachment may lead to permanent visual impairment if not treated properly and promptly. According to the underlying causes, retinal detachment falls into one of three categories: exudative retinal detachment, traction detachment, and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Like many other diseases, it is difficult to study the pathophysiology of retinal detachment directly in humans, because the human retinal tissues are precious, scarce and non-regenerative; thus, establishing experimental models that better mimic the disease is necessary. In this review, we summarize the existing models of the three categories of retinal detachment both in vivo and in vitro, along with an overview of their examination methods and the major strengths and weaknesses of each model.

Orbital Blowout Fracture With Globe Displacement Into the Maxillary Sinus: A Case Report and Literature Review

Blunt trauma in the orbital region often results in fracture of 1 or more bone walls resulting in alteration of the orbital volume with the potential for visual sequelae. This study reports a rare case of displacement of the eyeball into the maxillary sinus after blunt trauma as well as its initial management, treatment, and clinical follow-up. Victims of eyeball displacement have a poor visual prognosis. Even if the patient has already been diagnosed with amaurosis on arrival to the hospital, all measures for rapid eye repositioning and reconstruction of the orbital cavity must be instituted, as well as appropriate clinical and pharmacologic management to avoid further complications.

Sympathetic Ophthalmia after Vitreoretinal Surgeries: Incidence, Clinical Presentations and Outcomes of a Rare Disease

Aim: To evaluate clinical presentation, course and outcomes in patients without a history of penetrating ocular trauma who developed Sympathetic Ophthalmia (SO) following vitreoretinal surgeries Methods: Retrospective review of clinical records of all patients diagnosed and treated as S.O was done . All cases without a previous history of trauma were included and were analyzed with respect to clinical presentations, anatomic and visual outcomes. Results: 175 cases of sympathetic ophthalmia were diagnosed and treated till June 2017. 16 of these cases had undergone a pars plana vitrecomy (PPV) in the past and had no history of prior ocular trauma. SO after vitreoetinal surgeries accounted for 9.14 percent of all cases of SO .In the same duration, till 2017,a total 41365 PPV were done. Thus 0.038 percent of PPV cases developed a SO . 10 patients were males and 6 were females. The median age at presentation was 45.7 years. The time interval from surgery to diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia ranged from 22 days to 4 years after undergoing a surgery. The mean visual acuity in the sympathizing eye was 1.26 logMAR (snellens equivalent of 20/320) which improved to 0.62 logMAR(snellens equivalent of 20/80) after treatment. The most common anterior segment finding was non granulomatous anterior uveitis, seen in 8 cases (50%) while neurosensory detachments were the most common posterior segment presentation (10 cases, 62.5%).12 patients had undergone more than 1 surgery (mean number of surgeries was 1.88). 10 patients had undergone a sutureless PPV (6 cases of 23 gauge and 4 cases of 25 gauge vitrectomy) while 4 patients had undergone a 20 gauge vitrectomy where all sclerotomies were sutured after surgery All patients were treated with systemic steroids and immunosuppresants and 15 out of 16 patients showed significant improvement in the final visual acuity in the sympathizing eye Conclusions: Sympathetic ophthalmia after vitreoretinal surgeries is a rare but potentially sight threatening disease occurring in 0.038 percent of all cases of Pars Plana Vitrectomy. Presence of inflammation in the fellow eye after a vitreoretinal surgery in the other eye should alert the surgeon to possibility of sympathetic ophthalmia.

Comparison of Clinical Features and Visual Outcome between Sympathetic Ophthalmia and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease in Chinese Patients

PURPOSE

To characterize the clinical features of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) and compare SO and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease in Chinese patients.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 131 consecutive SO and 500 VKH disease patients randomly selected from among those referred to our uveitis center from April 2008 through June 2018.

METHODS

History, extraocular and ocular findings, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), auxiliary examination findings, complications, and therapeutic effects were analyzed retrospectively in SO and VKH disease patients.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Visual outcome, extraocular and ocular findings, and therapeutic effects.

RESULTS

Sympathetic ophthalmia manifested as posterior uveitis (68.8%) within 2 weeks and equal involvement of anterior and posterior segment (44.4%), respectively, was observed between 2 weeks and 2 months after disease onset. Two months after disease onset, SO patients showed sunset glow fundus (51.2%) and granulomatous anterior uveitis (27.3%). Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease patients mainly showed posterior uveitis (100%), anterior segment involvement (92.4%) associated with posterior uveitis (84.9%), and granulomatous anterior uveitis (97.4%) accompanying sunset glow fundus (91.5%) in the 3 periods mentioned above. The frequencies of extraocular manifestations were lower in SO patients (24.4%) as compared with VKH disease patients (84.8%; P < 0.001). Best-corrected visual acuity of SO patients improved from 0.68±0.86 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) to 0.47±0.78 logMAR (P = 0.01), and BCVA of VKH disease patients improved from 0.67±0.79 logMAR to 0.24±0.53 logMAR (P < 0.001) at 12 months of follow-up. A worse BCVA was noted in SO patients compared with VKH disease patients after treatment (P = 0.003). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the risk of loss of useful vision in SO patients was significantly higher than that of VKH disease patients (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese SO and VKH disease patients have a different evolutionary process. The frequency of extraocular manifestations in SO patients is much lower as compared with VKH disease patients. Visual outcome is worse in SO as compared with VKH disease.

Sympathetic Ophthalmia: Experience from a Tertiary Care Center in Northern India

Purpose:

To describe our clinical experience with sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) at a tertiary eye care center in north India.

Methods:

In this retrospective case series, analysis of the clinical features and visual outcomes of patients diagnosed with SO between March 2012 and March 2016 were performed.

Results:

Ten male and four female patients (median age, 15.5 years) with SO following penetrating trauma (10 patients) or ocular surgery (four patients) were included. SO developed 2 weeks to 3 years after the insult. Mean presenting visual acuity of the sympathizing eyes was 1.086 (LogMAR). Anterior chamber reaction was documented in all eyes in which it could be assessed (14 sympathizing eyes; five exciting eyes). Neurosensory detachment was seen in 10 of 14 patients (71.5%). Five patients (35.7%) were managed with oral steroids alone, whereas nine (64.3%) were treated with intravenous pulse dexamethasone followed by oral steroids. Inflammation recurred in three patients during steroid tapering, necessitating restarting of steroid therapy with or without additional immunosuppressants. At the last follow-up, all 14 patients were in remission with low-dose oral steroids; seven patients were also on immunosuppressants. At the final follow-up, 12 of 14 (85.7%) sympathizing eyes achieved 20/40 or better visual acuity and three exciting eyes achieved at least 6/24 visual acuity.

Conclusion:

Although SO is a potentially blinding disorder, early detection and individualized treatment allow most patients achieve good final visual acuity.

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.

Sympathetic Ophthalmia in a 22-Month-Old Infant With Sturge-Weber Syndrome With Atypical Histopathological Correlation

Purpose

Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) and sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) are unusual pathologies. Their association has not been previously reported. This unusual diagnosis can be elucidated by clinical suspicion.

Methods

Case report of a 22-month-old female with SO.

Results

SWS with a unilateral diffuse choroidal hemangioma. The exciting eye had multiple surgeries for glaucoma that required enucleation. Clinical picture of SO was found on the sympathizing eye. Atypical histopathology (nongranulomatous choroidal infiltrate and perivascular mononuclear cells) is found in the enucleated eye.

Conclusions

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of an association of SWS, diffuse choroidal hemangioma, infantile glaucoma, and SO. Many confounding factors are present (ie, multiple surgeries, risk of infectious endophthalmitis). Therefore, a high index of suspicion must be kept in mind to make the diagnosis. We aim to raise awareness of such a devastating condition in a pediatric patient with many comorbidities.

Phthisis Bulbi-a Clinicopathological Perspective

Phthisis bulbi denotes end-stage eye disease characterized by shrinkage and disorganization of the eye with the resultant functional loss. The major factors associated with the pathogenesis of phthisis are hypotony, deranged blood-ocular barriers, and inflammation. Common causes include trauma, surgery, infection, inflammation, malignancy, retinal detachment, and vascular lesions. A phthisical globe shows a small squared off shape, opaque and thickened cornea, thickened sclera, neovascularization of iris, cataract, cyclitic membrane, ciliochoroidal detachment, and retinal detachment. Microscopic features include internal disorganization, inflammatory reaction, a reactive proliferation of various cells, calcification, and ossification. Early treatment of the causative etiology is the best strategy available to avoid an eye from going into phthisis. A phthisical eye has no visual potential and cosmetic rehabilitation or symptomatic relief of pain remains the mainstay in the management. The authors present a comprehensive review of the etiopathogenesis, pathology, clinical features, and management of the end-stage ocular disease.

[Therapeutic strategy for the treatment of non-infectious uveitis proposed by an expert panel]

Conventional immunosuppressive drugs, anti-TNF alpha and other biotherapies used in clinical practice are capable of controlling non-infectious anterior uveitis, posterior uveitis and panuveitis. The present work has been led by a multidisciplinary panel of experts, internists, rheumatologists and ophthalmologists and is based on a review of the literature. In case of corticodependency or sight-threatening disease, conventional immunosuppressive drugs (methotrexate, azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil) and/or anti-TNF alpha (adalimumab, infliximab) are used to achieve and maintain remission. Interferon is an efficient immunomodulatory treatment, as a second-line therapy, for some therapeutic indications (refractory macular edema, Behçet's vascularitis). Other biologics, especially tocilizumab, are showing promising results. Local treatments (corticosteroids, sirolimus etc.) are adjuvant therapies in case of unilateral inflammatory relapse. Therapeutic response must be evaluated precisely by clinical examination and repeated complementary investigations (laser flare photometry, multimodal imaging, perimetry, electroretinography measures).

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.

Sympathetic ophthalmitis following vitreoretinal surgery: Does antecedent trauma make a difference?

Background:

Sympathetic ophthalmitis (SO) has been reported following vitrectomy; however, there is a lack of data on the role of antecedent penetrating ocular trauma impacting the disease manifestation in eyes developing SO following vitrectomy.

Aim:

To report differences in the presentation and outcomes of SO in eyes with or without a history of antecedent penetrating trauma; SO being diagnosed after vitreoretinal (VR) surgery.

Design:

Comparative case series.

Methods:

Seventeen consecutive patients presenting with SO following VR surgery, diagnosed between 1995 and 2011 were included. Eyes with and without prior penetrating injury were included in Group I (n = 7) and Group II (n = 10), respectively. All Group I patients had received systemic steroids prior to presentation. Demographic and clinical parameters were evaluated.

Results:

Differences were observed between Group I and Group II mainly with regards to time interval between VR surgery and diagnosis of SO (1.5 months vs. 8 months, P = 0.10), presence of neurosensory detachments (100% vs. 30%, P = 0.01), and the inciting eye vision at presentation (nil light perception in 28.5% vs. 80%, P = 0.049). Other differences observed though not statistically significant were optic disc and retinal vessel involvement (42% vs. 70%, P = 0.28), Dalen-Fuchs nodules (localized vs. diffuse) and leaks on fundus fluorescein angiography (pin-head vs. pin-point leak).

Conclusion:

SO in patients with antecedent penetrating ocular trauma present early with the central serous chorioretinopathy-like picture. Prior use of systemic steroids might have a bearing on the differences in presentation and the visual acuities between the two groups.

A rare case of atypical sympathetic ophthalmia post therapeutic keratoplasty

Introduction

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a rare, bilateral, diffuse granulomatous uveitis that usually occurs after open globe injury or intraocular surgery.

Methods

A patient developed SO following therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (TPK) with cataract extraction in the exciting eye following fungal keratitis. The sympathizing eye presented with only posterior segment findings (exudative retinal detachment) and responded well with oral corticosteroids.

Results

Graft remained clear in the left eye and the right eye; the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved to 0.2 log MAR.

Conclusion

SO presenting after TPK for fungal keratitis is a rare occurrence but if detected early can be managed effectively.

Characteristics of Sympathetic Ophthalmia in a Single International Center

AIM

To report the main features of sympathetic ophthalmia in a referral ophthalmology center.

METHODS

Retrospective clinical study. We reviewed clinical records of patients with diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia attending the Uveitis Department from 2007 to 2013. Patients were selected by clinical criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to assess variables.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were included for analysis, 13 males and 7 females. Mean follow up was 1 year. The median age of presentation was 50 years. Fifty percent had history of ocular trauma and 50% had history of intraocular surgery, of which 40% underwent phacoemulsification. The time between injury and onset of symptoms ranged from 1 to 456 months. Most common ocular manifestations were mutton fat keratic precipitates and anterior chamber inflammation. All patients received oral prednisone as single or combined therapy. Sixty percent of the sympathizing eyes improved two or more lines of vision and 20% lost two or more lines of vision.

CONCLUSION

This report from a single center adds to the body of literature of sympathetic ophthalmia occurring in a specific population. Our data found a high proportion of patients with sympathetic ophthalmia after phacoemulsification.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia following repeated pars plana vitrectomy : Clinical findings and spectral domain OCT follow-up]

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare form of bilateral granulomatous panuveitis, occurring after penetrating trauma. Hitherto, sympathetic ophthalmia after vitrectomy has only occasionally been described in the literature. This case report presents a female patient with sympathetic ophthalmia after repeated pars plana vitrectomy on the basis of clinical findings and follow-up with fluorescein angiography, spectral domain OCT, and histopathology.

Gender disparities in ocular inflammatory disorders

Ocular inflammatory disorders disproportionately affect women, and the majority of affected women are of childbearing age. The role of sex or reproductive hormones has been proposed in many other inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, and findings from non-ocular autoimmune diseases suggest a complex interaction between sex hormones, genetic factors and the immune system. However, despite the age and sex bias, factors that influence this disparity are complicated and unclear. This review aims to evaluate the gender disparities in prevalence, incidence and severity of the most common infectious and non-infectious ocular inflammatory disorders.

Gender differences in vogt-koyanagi-harada disease and sympathetic ophthalmia

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) and sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) are types of T-cell mediated autoimmune granulomatous uveitis. Although the two diseases share common clinical features, they have certain differences in gender predilections. VKH classically has been reported as more prevalent in females than males, yet some studies in Japan and China have not found differences in gender prevalence. Male patients have a higher risk of chorioretinal degeneration, vitiligo, and worse prognosis. Conversely, the changing levels of estrogen/progesterone during pregnancy and the menstrual cycle as well as higher levels of TGF-β show a protective role in females. Potential causes of female predilection for VKH are associated with HLA-DR and HLA-DQ alleles. SO, a bilateral granulomatous uveitis, occurs in the context of one eye after a penetrating injury due to trauma or surgery. In contrast to the female dominance in VKH, males are more frequently affected by SO due to a higher incidence of ocular injury, especially during wartime. However, no gender predilection of SO has been reported in postsurgical cases. No clinically different manifestations are revealed between males and females in SO secondary to either ocular trauma or surgery. The potential causes of the gender difference may provide hints on future treatment and disease evaluation.

Sympathetic ophthalmia in pediatric age group: clinical features and challenges in management in a tertiary center in southern India

PURPOSE

To study the clinical features and visual outcome of sympathetic ophthalmia in pediatric patients attending a tertiary care center.

METHODS

Retrospective review of patients ≤16 years with sympathetic ophthalmia seen during the period 2001-2011.

RESULTS

During this period, 2511 pediatric patients with open globe injuries and 14 patients with sympathetic ophthalmia were seen. Six patients developed sympathetic ophthalmia during follow-up here. The incidence rate of sympathetic ophthalmia is 0.24% (6/2511, 95% CI:0.05-0.43%). The commonest presenting signs were anterior uveitis and exudative detachment. All patients were treated with systemic steroids, while 7 patients received additional immunosuppressive therapy. Eight patients had a follow-up of more than 6 months. Mean presenting best-corrected visual acuity (1.25 ± 1.03 logMAR) in the sympathizing eye improved significant following treatment (0.42 ± 0.80 logMAR, p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia was 0.24%. Appropriate immunosuppression can lead to favorable visual outcomes in the sympathizing eye.

Enucleation versus evisceration in ocular trauma: a retrospective review and study of current literature

PURPOSE

To compare variables and outcomes from ocular trauma leading to either enucleation or evisceration to better inform surgical decision making.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

METHODS

We reviewed 441 patients between 2001 and 2012 presenting with ocular trauma to a Level 1 trauma center in Queens, New York; of these, there were 16 enucleations and 6 eviscerations. Retrospective chart review noted age, gender, mechanism of injury, initial and final visual acuity, time to surgery, length of follow-up, pain, degree of motility, and complications. A review of literature in the context of our study was performed.

RESULTS

20 patients were male and 2 patients were female; average age was 44 (SD: 20.0, range 18-91). 9/16 patients were enucleated to prevent sympathetic ophthalmia, whereas only 1/5 patient was eviscerated for this indication (p = 0.1619). No cases of sympathetic ophthalmia were reported over an average follow-up of 316 days. Average length of follow-up varied significantly between the two groups, with an average of 370.4 days (SD: 566.9, range 0-1870) for enucleated eyes and 172.7 days (SD: 146.3, range 0-422) for eviscerated eyes (p = 0.42). Medpor implants were preferred in eviscerations (5/6 eviscerations), whereas hydroxyapatite implants were preferred in enucleations (10/16 enucleations, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical decision-making in ocular trauma is largely based on surgeon preference and experience, with minimal evidence in the literature to support either enucleation or evisceration. We recommend evisceration over enucleation in cases of reliable patient follow-up due to the low incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia.

Sympathetic ophthalmia: to the twenty-first century and beyond

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare bilateral granulomatous inflammation that follows accidental or surgical insult to the uvea of one eye. Onset of sympathetic ophthalmia can be insidious or acute, with recurrent periods of exacerbation. Clinical presentation shows mutton-fat keratic precipitates, choroidal infiltrations, and Dalen-Fuchs nodules. Histopathology reveals diffuse or nodular granulomatous inflammation of the uvea. Prevention and treatment strategies for sympathetic ophthalmia are currently limited to two modalities, enucleation of the injured eye and immunosuppressive therapy, aimed at controlling inflammation. The etiology and pathophysiology of the disease is still unclear but is largely thought to be autoimmune in nature. Recent insight on the molecular pathology of the disease as well as developments in imaging technology have furthered both the understanding on the autoimmune process in sympathetic ophthalmia and the targeting of prevention and treatment strategies for the future.

Reversible alopecia in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease and sympathetic ophthalmia

Background

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease and sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) are both autoimmune disorders targeting melanin-bearing cells, even though their etiologies are different. Both shared many ocular and systemic manifestations, including integumentary findings. Most of the literature focused on the ocular manifestations and related treatment. Alopecia was seldom mentioned.

Findings

We report one case of VKH disease and one case of SO. Both developed severe alopecia and early sunset glow fundus, which are probably due to incomplete treatment. Fortunately, the alopecia improved soon after systemic steroid treatment.

Conclusions

Early and complete treatments are important in the management of VKH or SO and prevent integumentary manifestation. Alopecia can be reversible after steroid treatment in time.

Evaluating exaggerated, prolonged, or delayed postoperative intraocular inflammation

PURPOSE

To provide a diagnostic approach for the evaluation of patients with exaggerated, prolonged, or delayed postoperative intraocular inflammation.

DESIGN

Perspective.

METHODS

Selected articles on normal and abnormal postoperative intraocular inflammation were reviewed and interpreted in the context of the authors' clinical and research experience.

RESULTS

In addition to infectious endophthalmitis, a number of noninfectious conditions characterized by exaggerated, prolonged, or delayed postoperative inflammation have been described. Heuristically, increased postsurgical inflammation may be categorized by time from surgery to first recognition using the following general guidelines: as immediate and occurring within 2 days after surgery; as early and occurring after 2 days, but within the first 2 weeks, after surgery; and as delayed and occurring more than 2 weeks after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Although infectious endophthalmitis always must be excluded as a cause of increased postoperative intraocular inflammation, potential noninfectious causes also exist. We review both infectious and noninfectious causes of increased postoperative inflammation and provide a diagnostic framework for evaluating such patients.