Severe Primary Ocular Surface Involvement in Behcet Disease

Investigation of anterior segment structures of the eye in Behçet's disease using in vivo confocal microscopy

PURPOSE

We sought to investigate alterations in the corneal subbasal nerve plexus and endothelium in patients with Behçet's disease (BD).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 64 patients with BD and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. Those with BD were classified as having ocular or non-ocular disease. All subjects underwent a corneal endothelial and subbasal nerve density evaluation using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). The differences among groups were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's multiple comparison procedure.

RESULTS

The mean age of study participants was 35.7 ± 10.2 years (16-58) in the ocular BD group, 39.6 ± 14.9 years (11-66) in the non-ocular BD group, and 34.1 ± 11.2 years (21-55) in the control group. No statistical significance was found in terms of age (p = 0.259) or sex (p = 0.560) between groups. The mean endothelial cell density determined with IVCM was 2124.9 [Formula: see text] 417.4 cells/mm² (1811-3275) in the ocular group and 2546 [Formula: see text] 335 cells/mm² (1798-3280) in the control group (p = 0.000). In the ocular group, the mean density of the subbasal nerve plexus was significantly lower (p = 0.004), and nerve tortuosity was significantly higher (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Ocular BD could be responsible for changes in the corneal layers, especially endothelial and corneal nerve structures. Nerve density and tortuosity differences could be inflammatory indicators for BD.

Immune keratitis: An unusual primary presentation of neuro-Behçet’s disease

A 19-year-old Nepalese male presented with complaints of bilateral ocular discomfort, photophobia, watering, and redness for 1 week. Visual acuity was 6/12 and 6/60 in the right and left eye, respectively. On biomicroscopic examination, presence of peripheral stromal infiltrates with conjunctival follicles was noted; infiltrates progressed to involve central cornea with further decrease in vision over next few days. After ruling out infectious keratitis, detailed systemic examination and laboratory investigations were diagnostic of neuro-Behçet’s disease. Patient responded to systemic steroidal and immunosuppressive therapy characterized by corneal healing and visual acuity improvement to 6/6 and 6/9. Although rare, but neuro-Behçet’s disease can primarily present as bilateral immune keratitis and every case of bilateral keratitis needs early systemic evaluation after ruling out infective etiologies.