Prise en charge diagnostique des uvéites : recommandations d’un groupe d’experts

When and which second-line workup to perform for uveitis: a tertiary care center experience

OBJECTIVE

Uveitis are inflammatory disorders of various etiologies. The first-line etiological workup is currently poorly codified, and some patients undergo sequential investigations. However, what leads the clinician to perform subsequent exams and the relevance of such exams remain to be determined. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the relevance and modalities of a second-line workup of patients with uveitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a monocentric retrospective study in Nancy University Hospital. All adult patients who underwent an etiological workup in the Internal Medicine Department between January 2014 and December 2021 were included.

RESULTS

Among the 247 patients included, 52 underwent a second-line workup, resulting in a modified diagnosis for 18 of them (34.6%), mainly sarcoidosis, intraocular lymphoma, and Crohn's disease. On multivariate analysis, a follow-up longer than 40 months and idiopathic uveitis were associated with the realization of a second-line workup (OR = 2.97 [1.58 - 5.61]; p = 0.001, and OR = 6.13 [2.3-16.1]; p < 0.01, respectively). The presence of synechia and ocular granuloma were associated with a modification of the diagnosis (OR = 8.03 [1.85-45.48]; p = 0.01, and OR = 5.14 [1.22-24.78]; p = 0.03, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The second-line workup is relevant in up to one-third of patients, mainly if presenting with a modification of ophthalmological examination, synechiae, and a granulomatous feature, and should focus on intraocular lymphoma, sarcoidosis, and Crohn's disease. Larger studies are needed to provide guidelines for second-line workup.

Diagnostic value of lumbar puncture for the etiological assessment of uveitis: a retrospective cohort of 188 patients

AIM

To assess the relevance of lumbar puncture (LP) for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis and to establish predictive factors associated with its contributory use.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of patients with de novo uveitis who were referred to our tertiary hospital for etiological diagnosis of uveitis, between January 2003 and July 2018. We included patients who underwent a LP as part of the etiological assessment of uveitis. LP was considered as contributory if it led to the etiological diagnosis or to correct the initially suspected diagnosis.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty eight of the 1211 patients referred for evaluation (16%) had an LP, among these patients, 93 (49.4%) had abnormal results including 69 (36.7%) patients with hypercellularity, 69 (36.7%) with hyperproteinorachia, and 28 (14.9%) with oligoclonal bands and/or increased IgG index. LP was considered as contributing to the diagnosis in only 31 (16.4%) cases, among which there were 10 (5.3%) contributions to the etiological diagnosis and 21 (11.2%) modifications in the diagnosis classification. Multivariate analysis established that African ethnicity (p < 0.001), bilateral uveitis (p = 0.01), presence of macular edema or retinal serous detachment (p = 0.048), presence of retinal vasculitis (p < 0.001), presence of neurological signs or symptoms (p = 0.01), and contributing cerebral MRI (p < 0.001) were all significantly associated with a contributory LP. LP did not lead to any therapeutic modification.

CONCLUSION

LP direct contribution to the diagnosis was rare and most often detected non-specific abnormalities. LP should be performed only in cases of neurological clinical signs or symptoms, suspicion of multiple sclerosis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada, or syphilis.

Relevance of Brain MRI in Patients with Uveitis: Retrospective Cohort on 402 Patients

Aim: To assess the diagnostic value of brain magnetic resonance imaging (bMRI) for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis and to establish predictive factors associated with its advantageous use.Methods: Retrospective study on all patients with de novo uveitis who were referred to our tertiary hospital and who underwent a bMRI between 2003 and 2018.Results: bMRI was contributive in 19 out of 402 cases (5%), among patients with a contributive bMRI, 68% had neurological signs. Univariate analysis established that neurological signs (p < .001), granulomatous uveitis (p = .003), retinal vasculitis (p = .002), and intermediate uveitis (p < .001) were all significantly associated with a contributive bMRI. Multivariate analysis confirms the significant association of neurological signs (p < .001) and intermediate uveitis (p = .01).Conclusion: bMRI appears to be a relevant exam in specific cases; intermediate/posterior uveitis or panuveitis accompanied by neurological signs, retinal vasculitis, or in patients older than 40, to rule out an oculocerebral lymphoma.Abbreviations: ACE: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme; bMRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; CBC: Complete Blood cell Count; BMRI: Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging; CT: Computerized Tomography; MS: Multiple Sclerosis; NS: Neurological Signs; OCL: Oculocerebral Lymphoma; RIS: Radiologically Isolated Syndrome.

[Ocular syphilis, a re-emergent pathology: Series of 12 patients in one Hospital, 2017]

INTRODUCTION

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease. All organs might be affected, but ocular syphilis only occurs in 0.6 percent of patients. We collected all cases of ocular syphilis requiring hospitalization at the University Hospital Center (UHC) in Marseille in 2017.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective monocentric study. The diagnosis of ocular syphilis was based on the combination of ocular inflammation with a positive syphilitic serology. For each patient, sex, age, HIV status, ocular and extraocular symptoms, initial visual acuity, syphilis serology, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis if done, treatment and clinical response were collected.

RESULTS

Ten men and two women, aged 28 to 86 years, were hospitalized. Two patients were HIV-positive. Ophtalmological lesions were heterogeneous the posterior structures were most affected. Anterior uveitis was isolated in one patient. Five patients had extraocular signs with cutaneous and/or mucosal involvement. No patient had neurological symptoms. Diagnosis of neurosyphilis through CSF analysis was definite for one patient, probable for 5 patients and ruled out for 2 patients. Six patients received treatment with penicillin G and six with ceftriaxone. Visual acuity improved in all cases.

DISCUSSION

Ophtalmic cases of syphilis have become more frequent over the past few years in France. The diagnosis should be suspected in cases of eye inflammation even in the absence of favourable clinical presentation or anamnesis. Search for HIV co-infection should be systematic. Our study shows that ceftriaxone remains an effective alternative to penicillin G.

A Cross-Sectional Observational Study of Nailfold Capillary Morphology in Uveitis

PURPOSE

We performed nailfold capillary microscopy to explore microvasculature abnormalities in uveitis overall and uveitis stratified in various ways.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional, case-control, observational study. One hundred and seven uveitis patients and 130 control subjects were included. We used a JH-1004 capillaroscope to perform nailfold capillary video microscopy on the fourth and fifth digits of each subject's nondominant hand. Videos were evaluated for hemorrhages, dilated capillary loops > 25 µm, and avascular zones > 200 µm. Univariate analyses were used for the assessment of case-control morphological differences and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the relation between nailfold capillaroscopic findings and uveitis subgroups.

RESULTS

In univariate analysis, uveitis patients were more likely to have higher tortuosity ratings and reduced capillary density compared to controls (p < 0.001 for both); furthermore, dilated capillary loops, avascular zone and hemorrhages were more frequent in uveitis versus control subjects (p < 0.001 for all). Among cases, every unit increase in capillary density (vessels/mm) was associated with active uveitis (n = 72 cases) versus inactive disease (n = 35 cases; odds ratio (OR) = 1.7; (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-2.5) in multivariate analysis. Furthermore, the presence of any nailfold hemorrhage versus the absence of hemorrhage was more likely to be associated with posterior and panuveitis (n = 41 cases combined) compared to anterior and intermediate uveitis (n = 66 cases combined; OR = 5.8; 95% CI, 2.3-14.2). Moreover, we found a positive correlation between peripheral retinal leakage and nailfold capillaries dilation (r = 0.33; p = 0.015) that was not strictly significant based on the number of comparisons made.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides support for non-ocular capillary bed abnormalities in uveitis, with interesting correlations based on disease stage and anatomical classification.