Sympathetic Ophthalmia – case report

Purpose. To present the case of a 22-year-old man with a history of trauma on the right eye, followed by a sudden decrease of visual acuity on the left eye, but with a good recovery after surgical treatment.

Material and methods. We reported a case of a 22-year-old patient with a sudden and painless decrease of visual acuity on the left eye, a month after a car accident, which led to the laceration of the right globe. At first, the patient received only medical treatment because he refused any surgical intervention. He had a favorable evolution during hospitalization, but he returned after a month with the same visual acuity as at his first admission. The patient accepted the medical treatment and the enucleation of the right eye, thus having a fast improvement in his visual acuity on the left eye.

Conclusions. Although the enucleation was overdue, it had a strong favorable influence on the evolution of the disease. As a result of the surgery, the visual acuity has improved significantly in just a few days.

Abbreviations: OCT = optical coherence tomography

Recent advances in diagnosis and management of sympathetic ophthalmia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a bilateral granulomatous uveitis that occurs following unilateral trauma or surgery and is sight-threatening in the contralateral eye. Despite significant potential morbidity, disease remains poorly understood. Variable presentations and clinical courses, as well as a lack of definitive diagnostic laboratory tests can complicate the diagnosis and result in delayed treatment, which can beget permanent vision loss. This review focuses on recent advances in areas of pathophysiology, classification, diagnosis and treatment.

RECENT FINDINGS

Sympathetic ophthalmia is thought to involve a cell-mediated immune response to retinal and uveal antigens exposed through trauma or surgery. Multiple mechanisms have been implicated, including activation of the interleukin-23/IL-17 pathway. Ongoing emphasis is placed on early disease recognition and prompt treatment with multimodal imaging. Multiple authors advocate for the routine use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for screening and disease monitoring. Systemic steroids and steroids sparing-immunosuppressive agents remain the mainstay of treatment.

SUMMARY

Understanding pathophysiology may provide useful targets for drug development, as well as allow for identification of patients at risk. OCT is a useful tool in early diagnosis and management of sympathetic ophthalmia, as OCT changes may precede clinical symptoms and signs, allowing for early disease detection and better visual outcomes.

[Use of plasmapheresis-based extracorporeal hemocorrection in the treatment of endogenic uveitis and autoimmune eye diseases]

The paper gives the methods of plasmapheresis-based extracorporeal exposure to blood and its components to correct hemostatic disorders. Afferent methods, as well as quantum hemotherapy methods are outlined. The immunomodulating mechanism of their action, which favors a prompter elimination of inflammation, increases ocular functions, and reduces recurrences, is revealed. The mechanisms of action of plasmapheresis as a technique used alone and in combination with laser and ultraviolet blood irradiation and indications for and contraindications to the use of various hemocorrection methods are described.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia--clinical case]

This paper presents a case of Sympathetic ophthalmia following a penetrating ocular injury produced 30 days ago, of a patient who postponed the presentation to the ophthalmologist.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia]

PURPOSE

To evaluate the efficacy of treatment on prevention of disease development and protection of visual outcomes in patients suffering from sympathetic ophthalmia.

METHODS

Retrospective case.

RESULTS

Four patients with sympathetic ophthalmia were treated in our department from 1999 to 2004. All patients were men with the mean age 27.5 years (15-49 years). In two patients, there was a history of penetrating eye injury prior to the onset of sympathetic ophthalmia, in other two patients sympathetic ophthalmia occurred after eye surgery (pars plana vitrectomy), with no previous ocular trauma. Two patients were treated with monotherapy of corticosteroids; other two patients were commenced on combined immunosuppression. In all these cases, the therapy was effective.

CONCLUSION

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare, sight-threatening eye disease. Among the triggering factors dominates penetrating eye injury, however, there is currently an increase in the number of cases with sympathetic ophthalmia following eye surgery, mainly pars plana vitrectomy. Early introduction of immunosuppressive treatment can get the disease under control, prevent the development of intraocular inflammation and improve visual outcomes.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia, case report]

We present the case of a 61 years old male, who developed symphathetic ophthalmia, following a penetrating injury in one eye. After the injury had been sutured, the traumatized eye was red and painful. Considering the risk of sympathetic ophthalmia, the doctor decided the enucleation of the injured eye, but the patient refused and he had not come back to the recommended follow-ups. He returned to the hospital seven months later with decreased visual acuity in both eyes, caused by bilateral uveitis. The diagnosis was sympathetic ophthalmia. He improved and recovered an acceptable visual acuity after enucleation of the injured eye and the administration of both topical and systemic steroids. But the premature stopping of the maintenance therapy with low-dose systemic steroids, results in a relapse--a worse uveitis.

Sympathetic ophthalmia in Singapore: new trends in an old disease

BACKGROUND

Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is an uncommon uveitic condition that occurs after injury to the uvea of one eye and may occur after accidental ocular trauma or ocular surgery. We sought to investigate the common causes of SO in Singapore and the demographic profile as well as the final visual acuity after treatment in these patients.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, non-comparative case series in which patients with SO were identified from the Singapore National Eye Centre uveitis database in the period between 1993 and 2003. The patients' case records were examined for a history of ocular trauma or surgery and subsequent development of bilateral or contralateral uveitis consistent with SO or histopathological evidence of SO in enucleated eyes. The medical records of these patients were reviewed for details of the inciting event, presentation, treatment, and visual acuity.

RESULTS

A total of ten patients (six men and four women) were diagnosed with SO in the period of study. SO occurred after accidental trauma in three patients and following ocular surgery in seven. Vitreoretinal surgery was responsible for four of these cases, and diode laser cyclophotoablation for another two, whereas neodymium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser cyclotherapy was the cause in the last patient. Overall, six of ten patients underwent at least one vitreoretinal procedure. Four of the patients had a final visual acuity of 6/15 or better, whereas five had a visual acuity of 6/30 or worse. Good final visual acuity appeared to be associated with early initiation of immunosuppressive therapy.

CONCLUSION

In this series, ocular surgery, especially vitreoretinal surgery, had overtaken non-surgical trauma as the major cause of SO. A good outcome was possible in most cases if an early diagnosis was made and immunosuppressive treatment started promptly.

Sympathetic ophthalmia

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare, bilateral granulomatous uveitis that occurs after either surgical or accidental trauma to one eye. The ocular inflammation in the fellow eye becomes apparent usually within 3 months after injury. Clinical presentation is an insidious or acute anterior uveitis with mutton-fat keratic precipitates. The posterior segment manifests moderate to severe vitritis, usually accompanied by multiple yellowish-white choroidal lesions. Evidence suggests that sympathetic ophthalmia represents an autoimmune inflammatory response against choroidal melanocytes mediated by T cells. Diagnosis is based on clinical findings and a history of previous ocular trauma or surgery. Other causes of granulomatous uveitis, such as Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, and syphilis should be considered. Treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia consists of systemic anti-inflammatory agents with high dose oral corticosteroid as the drug of choice. However, if the inflammation cannot be controlled, cyclosporine is then used. Other immunosuppressive agents, such as chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide or azathioprine, may be necessary for the control of inflammation. The role of enucleation after the diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia remains controversial. Visual prognosis is reasonably good with prompt wound repair and appropriate immunomodulatory therapy.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia as complication of perforated wound of the eye]

Symphatetic uveitis was a fairly common and described disease in 19th century. Many cases of bilateral blindncss associated with injury and inflammation were diagnosed as sympathetic ophthalmia. A penetrating wound appears to be essential for the development of symphathetic ophthalmia. Since the antigen-presenting cell, of the eye appear to be functionally suppressed in situ, these antigens normaly would produce an inactivation signal. Authors present a case of 7 years old boy, who had injury of the right eye in the school. We performed surgery, but that right eye after several months went to subatrophy. Three months later, he come again with problems in left eye. We diagnosed symphatetic ophthalmia and included high doses of steroids. Two years after he is still on high dose of steroids due to two times of egxazcrbation. A month ago we perfomed phacoecmulsofication cataract syrgery, because a cataract developed due to high doses of steroid therapy.

Sympathetic ophthalmia after complicated cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation

PURPOSE

To report a case of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) associated with cataract surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

METHODS

Case report.

RESULTS

A 50-year-old man developed SO two months after complicated cataract surgery and IOL implantation. Adequate and prompt use of immunosuppressive medications and removal of the IOL by pars plana vitrectomy techniques resulted in control of the uveitis with significant visual improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Sympathetic ophthalmia should be included as one of the devastating complications of IOL insertion. A high index of suspicion must be maintained whenever inflammation occurs in the fellow eye of an eye that has undergone intraocular surgery.

Prospective surveillance of sympathetic ophthalmia in the UK and Republic of Ireland

AIMS

To establish current epidemiological data, risks, and interventional outcomes of newly diagnosed sympathetic ophthalmia (SO).

METHODS

Prospective surveillance took place of all permanently employed ophthalmologists in the UK and Republic of Ireland by a monthly reporting card through the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit. Case ascertainment was made of newly diagnosed SO from July 1997 and questionnaire data were returned at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year after diagnosis.

RESULTS

23 patients with newly diagnosed SO were recruited over 15 months, corresponding to a minimum estimated incidence of 0.03/100 000. Baseline data were available on 18 patients, in whom SO occurred after surgery in 11 patients, after retinal surgery alone in six patients, and after accidental trauma in seven patients. 12 of the 16 patients with 1 year follow up had a visual acuity of 6/12 or better. Good visual outcome was related to prompt and adequate systemic immunosuppressive therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia is very low. The main current risk is surgery, particularly retinal surgery, but visual prognosis is good if early diagnosis is made and rapid, adequate immunotherapy is commenced.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia 50 years after penetrating injury. A case report]

BACKGROUND

Sympathetic ophthalmia is a rare form of autoimmune uveitis and manifests in 90% of cases within the first year after penetrating injuries or surgical interventions.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In the present case the sympathetic ophthalmia started 50 years after a penetrating injury by a shell splinter. The injured eye was amaurotic and phthitic and the sympathizing eye showed an anterior uveitis. After an initial treatment with local and systemic corticosteroids the uveitis improved. The clinical diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia was made after a second inflammation course with substantial visual loss and subtotal chorioidal detachment. After enucleation of the exciting eye the diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination. An immunosuppressive therapy including azathioprine and cyclosporine became necessary to control the uveitis.

RESULTS

After enucleation the corticosteroid treatment was not sufficient. Additional therapy with azathioprine resulted in a recovery of the symptoms but had to be stopped because of adverse reactions. The alternative therapy by means of cyclosporine was tolerated well, but dose reduction was difficult because of recurrences. After a 30 month lasting cyclosporine therapy the patient shows stabile results since 6 months with visual acuity of 20/30.

CONCLUSIONS

The present case report demonstrates that a delayed onset of sympathetic ophthalmia 50 years after initial trauma may occur but can be controlled by an immediate, high dose immunotherapy.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia. Apropos of 5 cases]

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to show the severity of sympathetic ophthalmia and the need for immunosuppressive treatment.

METHODS

The study included five cases of sympathetic ophthalmia following ocular injury in three cases and evisceration in two cases. The ocular lesions included total uveitis in all cases with papillary oedema in two cases. The treatment was based on corticosteroid therapy, with immunodepressants in four cases.

RESULTS

Functional prognosis was good in four cases, with final visual acuity between 3/10 and 10/10.

CONCLUSION

Immunosuppressive treatment must be used on all cases of sympathetic ophthalmia with the goal of improving visual prognosis.

[Cataract extraction in a patient with sympathetic uveitis after immunity correcting therapy]

A complicated cataract on the only eye was effectively extracted in a patient with uveitis running a sluggish course with manifest disorders of T-cell immunity. Immune correction in combination with routine therapy of uveitis helped prepare the patient to surgery for cataract and attain good results.

[Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of sympathetic ophthalmia]

Clinical factors of risk of sympathic ophthalmia (SO) determined by the type of injury, methods of surgical and drug treatment, and supported by published data were distinguished as a result of treating 158 patients with SO at the Helmholts Research Institute of Ophthalmic Diseases from 1965 to 1994. Special attention is paid to the possibility of SO development during steroid therapy of posttraumatic uveitis. In such cases SO develops in case of 1) sudden discontinuation of a course of steroids; 2) discontinuation of a short course of steroid therapy in the presence of persisting signs of posttraumatic uveitis; and 3) in surgery on the traumatized (operated on) eyes and low steroid doses.

Visual prognosis and sympathetic ophthalmia

Sympathetic ophthalmia is probably the ocular disorder best known to practitioners outside of ophthalmology. It is characterized by a bilateral, nonnecrotizing granulomatous panuveitis that occurs after intentional or unintentional trauma to the exciting eye. So far, the identity of the inciting antigen has not been delineated with certainty. The sequelae from sympathetic ophthalmia have declined markedly in this century as a result of earlier diagnosis, use of corticosteroids, and better management of ocular injuries, in large part due to improved surgical techniques. Cases of sympathetic ophthalmia, however, still occur with their severe sight-threatening complications, which impose on ophthalmologists the importance of prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment in order to achieve good visual outcome.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia in a case of neurilemmoma of the ciliary body]

The paper presents the case of a 62-year-old male patient, which has been hospitalized with the symptomatology of a acute glaucoma through intumescent lens. After the lens extraction, the globe evolution was to atrophy with chronic irrigation, starting a hypertensive cyclitis at the other eye, assumed to be a sympathetic ophthalmia. After several acute evolutive episodes at both eyes, the enucleation of the primal eye was made and a ciliary body tumour (neurinoma) was discovered. After enucleation under general and local cortisone treatment, the inflammatory phenomena at the sympathetic eye were entering in remission; but the hypertony, which was considered to be an open-angle pre-existent glaucoma, was persistent. The paper also discusses the sympathetic ophthalmia producing mechanism the characteristics of the ciliary body tumour and the diagnosis problems raised by this case.

[Immuno-correcting therapy of sympathetic ophthalmia]

Exchange plasmapheresis was used in correction of the immune homeostasis in 5 patients with sympathetic ophthalmia. The inflammatory process ceased in all the cases. Exchange plasmapheresis resulted in improvement of the blood supply to ocular vessels, of intraocular vessel function, and of metabolic processes in the external layers of the retina. Cellular and humoral immunity parameters normalized. The hemo- and hydrodynamic parameters of the eye improved; all these results evidence that exchange plasmapheresis is an effective method in the treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia.

Prevention of sympathetic ophthalmia. State of the art 1989

Ophthalmologists are daily confronted with intraocular inflammation following trauma and/or intraocular surgery. In rare cases, this may lead to the loss of visual function in both eyes, i.e. sympathetic ophthalmia (SO). In order to reduce the scope of responsible action between enucleation of the exciting eye (EE), which still has good vision, and progressive inflammation of the second eye (SE) resulting in blindness if action is delayed, a score system was established based on all SO symptoms which had become known from the literature and personal communications up the end of 1988. The score system developed by HANNE et al. allows causal differentiation between SO or uveitis of other genesis in the partner eye taking into account the prior history and findings in the EE and the occurrence of symptoms after the last accident/operation and findings in the SE. If the last eye is involved, the presence of SO should be assumed in every case where there are signs of intraocular inflammation in order to allow immediate commencement of anti-inflammatory therapy, the more so since it is known that corticosteroids and cytostatics (this also applies to cyclosporin A) can only arrest the immunopathologic processes in the initial phase of the disease.

[Sympathetic ophthalmia]

The authors give an account of a case of sympathetic ophthalmia which was successfully managed by reoperation of the injured eye, corticoids and immunosuppressive drugs. Sympathetic ophthalmia developed after perforation of the cornea along with traumatic cataract one month following the accident. It was manifested by irritation of the anterior segment of both eyes and marked exudation into the area of the posterior pole of the sympathizing eye. On the injured eye surgical reconstruction of the anterior segment was performed and concurrently broad spectrum antibiotics and corticoids were administered. On this therapy the anterior segment of both eyes began to improve, while the exudation into the area of the posterior pole of the sympathizing eye proceeded; therefore immunosuppressive therapy was started. The manifestations of sympathetic ophthalmia receded gradually. After an alternative way of corticoid reduction was started, a relapse of sympathetic ophthalmia occurred. The relapse was suppressed by a temporary increase of the dosage. Three months after the development of sympathetic ophthalmia, using the treatment described, the uveal inflammation of both eyes receded. At present, two years after the accident, both eyes are in a satisfactory condition with normal visual acuity--on the injured eye with an aphakic correction.

A historical review of sympathetic ophthalmia and its epidemiology

Sympathetic ophthalmia was given its complete clinical description by William Mackenzic in 1840, and fully described in terms of its histopathology by Ernst Fuchs in 1905. A review of epidemiologic data from the 19th and 20th centuries reveals that acceptable statistical studies have yet to be carried out, but suggests that the disease has always been of extremely low incidence. Further, there does not appear to be a markedly decreased incidence in the "modern era." The etiology of the disease remains elusive, although the pathogenesis appears to be due to delayed hypersensitivity (cell-mediated immunity), possibly directed at a surface membrane antigen that is shared by photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelium and choroidal melanocytes. The only effective therapy remains preventive enucleation of the injured eye, despite modern usage of immunosuppressive agents. Studies have suggested that early enucleation of a blind exciting eye can improve the prognosis for the sympathizing eye.

Twenty cases of sympathetic ophthalmia

We reviewed the charts of 20 patients with sympathetic ophthalmia who were seen in the uveitis clinic at the Eye and Ear Infirmary within an 11-year period. Of these 20 patients 14 maintained 20/50 or better visual acuity in at least one eye. We found early enucleation to be associated with a better visual prognosis, possibly due to earlier diagnosis and faster, more aggressive therapy rather than a reduction in antigenic load. The clinical appearance of Dalen-Fuchs nodules appears to indicate a more severe stage of disease. Chlorambucil was useful in patients with severe disease. To be effective and to lessen its side effects chlorambucil was given in daily dosages that were increased weekly over a short period to achieve bone marrow suppression. After a course of chlorambucil therapy intraocular inflammation could be controlled with topical steroids alone.

Effect of corticosteroid treatment and enucleation on the visual prognosis of sympathetic ophthalmia

A retrospective clinicopathologic study, conducted to determine the course of disease in 30 cases of sympathetic ophthalmia with clinical follow-up of at least six months (average, 12.7 years), showed that 21 of 30 patients retained visual acuities of 20/50 or better in the sympathizing eye. The severity of inflammation graded histologically in the exciting eye did not correlate with the clinical course of final visual acuity in the sympathizing eye. Enucleation of the exciting eye within two weeks of the onset of symptoms was associated with a relatively benign clinical course (P = .008). Corticosteroid treatment in patients who underwent enucleation more than two weeks after the onset of symptoms was associated with a good visual outcome (P = .009). Early enucleation of a blind exciting eye and corticosteroid treatment appear to be important variables that influence the visual prognosis in the sympathizing eye.

Sixty-five years of sympathetic ophthalmia. A clinicopathologic review of 105 cases (1913--1978)

A retrospective clinicopathologic review of 105 cases of sympathetic ophthalmia showed histologic features of prognostic significance and evaluated the role of therapy. Classic descriptions omit retinal changes, but 58.0% of our cases had retinal detachment and 42.2% showed intraretinal inflammation. The optic nerve and/or meninges were inflamed in 51%. Optic atrophy was seen in 54.4%. Plasma cells are said to be characteristically absent, but 65.0% of steroid-treated and 85.7% of cases before the steroid era showed plasma cell infiltration. Severity of inflammation pathologically correlated with final visual outcome, and corticosteroid therapy changed both the character and severity of inflammation. Early enucleation of the exciting eye after onset of symptoms in the fellow eye was found to improve visual prognosis. Electron microscopy performed on fresh tissue and choroidal cell cultures revealed no viral particles, and viral and mycoplasma cultures all proved negative.