Multimodal Imaging of Nodular Posterior Scleritis: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Optical Coherence Tomography in Inflammatory and Neoplastic Lesions Deforming the Choroidal Profile

The choroid is the main part of the uvea, the vascular layer of the eye that lies between the retina and the sclera. The high vascular component of the choroid makes this structure susceptible to inflammation in multisystemic diseases, as well as the most common site of metastasis in the eye. Therefore, the choroid is involved in many pathological conditions, from uveitis to intraocular tumors. Differentiating between inflammatory and neoplastic lesions deforming the choroidal profile can sometimes be challenging. In addition, scleral disorders can also deform the choroidal profile. Choroidal imaging includes ophthalmic ultrasonography, indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Recent advances in choroidal imaging techniques, such as enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) and swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), have facilitated an in-depth analysis of the choroid. The purpose of this review article is to report on and highlight the most common OCT findings to help in the differential diagnosis between inflammatory and neoplastic lesions deforming the choroidal profile.

Mucosal associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma of the uvea: an analysis of 3 cases

Background

Ocular mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma involving orbit and conjunctiva usually has an indolent clinical course with “salmon patch” mass as typical presentation. This study is to report a series of rare cases and investigate the clinical and pathological features of ocular MALT lymphoma that involved uveal tissue primarily and presented as posterior scleritis.

Methods

This retrospective, observational study was conducted at Beijing Tongren Hospital. From 2018 to 2020, 3 cases of 3 eyes (2 female patients and 1 male patient) with ocular MALT lymphoma that involved uveal tissue primarily and presented as posterior scleritis were included in the study. All patients had complaints of red eyes with blurred vision. The average age was 56.33 ± 2.08 years old and the average time from initial diagnosis to pathological diagnosis was 3.00 ± 1.73 months. Ophthalmic examinations including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), slit lamp microscope examinations, fundus photography, B-scan ultrasonography, ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM), optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) were conducted. Systemic workups including orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and blood autoimmune antibody tests were also conducted. Pathological tissue from patients were obtained through surgeries. Biopsy examinations were performed to accurately determine pathological diagnosis. All the information of clinical, imaging and pathological changes were collected and analyzed.

Results

At the initial diagnosis, the BCVA of involved eyes decreased seriously while the IOP were normal. All involved eyeball showed extensive hyperemia and local thickening in the wall of eyeballs. B-scan ultrasonography showed mass with abundant blood and irregular cysts inside the eyeball wall and in the retrobulbar orbit, surrounding the ocular wall and optic nerve. UBM showed solid lesions with low and medium echo under the conjunctiva and inside the ciliary body of 2 cases. OCT showed posterior polar wavy rise of RPE and local neuroepithelial detachment in all cases. FFA and ICGA showed vascular abnormalities (patch-like strong fluorescence and fluorescence leakage) and local thickening in retina and choroid (Rectangle-like weak fluorescence below the macula). The posterior wall of the eyeball was thickened and enhanced in MRI. PET-CT also showed thickening of posterior wall of eyeballs and increased metabolic activity but there was no sign of autoimmune disease. All patients were diagnosed as MALT lymphoma through pathologic examinations of biopsy tissue.

Conclusions

The onset of primary ocular MALT lymphoma in uvea is hidden. The early clinical manifestations are lack of specificity and misleading. B-scan ultrasonography has characteristic manifestations and is valuable in diagnosis. However, pathological diagnosis through tissue biopsy is irreplaceable.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-022-02598-2.

Peripheral Subretinal Mass Complicating Necrotizing Anterior Scleritis in a Patient with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis

Anterior scleritis is rarely diagnosed with a peripheral amelanotic subretinal mass. We reported a rare case of a 31-year-old woman who was referred for suspected left eye choroidal melanoma. The patient had granulomatosis with polyangiitis with a history of treated left eye necrotizing anterior scleritis. Her left eye examination revealed 20/60 vision, superotemporal diffuse scleral injection, and thinning. Dilated fundus examination of the left eye showed a large peripheral amelanotic subretinal mass below the area of anterior scleritis, optic disc hyperemia, and subretinal fluid. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous methylprednisolone, rituximab infusions, and oral methotrexate. Two months after treatment, her vision improved to 20/20, with inactive anterior scleritis and a significant reduction in the subretinal mass with complete resolution of optic disc hyperemia and subretinal fluid. High index of suspicion of this atypical presentation of anterior scleritis is important to avoid aggressive modalities of treatment.

Nodular posterior scleritis - The great masquerader

We aim to report the management of a patient who presented with a choroidal mass masquerading as an amelanotic choroidal melanoma. A 57-year-old male presented with defective vision in his right eye, which was associated with mild periocular pain. Fundus examination showed a large dome-shaped yellowish-orange subretinal mass in the macular region and exudative retinal detachment (RD). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 16 mm × 8 mm choroidal mass, which was hyperintense on T1-weighted images and hypointense on T2-weighted images. B-scan ultrasonography revealed a dome-shaped mass with homogeneous echogenicity, inferior RD, and fluid collection in the sub-Tenon space. There was no choroidal excavation. He was diagnosed as nodular posterior scleritis (NPS) with exudative RD in the right eye. The lesion regressed completely after treatment with oral steroids. Choroidal mass can pose a diagnostic dilemma to ophthalmologists. Atypical MRI features can further augment the confusion. Despite its low incidence, NPS should always be kept as a differential in the presence of an amelanotic choroidal mass.