Subconjunctival steroid in the management of uveal juvenile xanthogranuloma: a case report

Juvenile xanthogranulomatosis with bilateral and multifocal ocular lesions of the iris, cornealscleral limbus, and choroid

A 14-month-old boy with juvenile xanthogranuloma skin lesions presented with increased intraocular pressure, hyphema, anterior uveitis, iris mass, and a subconjunctival limbal mass of the right eye. He subsequently developed a subretinal mass in the left eye. The anterior uveitis resolved after 2 periocular injections of triamcinolone in addition to the administration of topical prednisolone and oral prednisone and methotrexate. The subretinal mass in the left eye also resolved during the course of 1 year. He developed a cataract in the right eye and underwent lensectomy with anterior vitrectomy. This is the first published case in which methotrexate was used as an adjunctive treatment of juvenile xanthogranuloma in a child.

Glaucoma in Juvenile Xanthogranuloma

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a benign histiocytic skin disorder mainly encountered during infancy. Approximately 10% of cases exhibit ocular manifestations leading to serious complications. Specifically, secondary glaucoma can result in severe and blinding eye disease. We present a case of a two-month-old female with JXG related glaucoma in order to demonstrate the classic presentation and the problems commonly encountered in treating this disease. The natural history, pathogenesis, and treatment of the condition are then discussed and the pertinent literature reviewed. JXG should be considered in any case of unilateral glaucoma that presents in infancy.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma masquerading as pediatric chronic uveitis: a clinicopathologic study

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a rare, pediatric histiocytic skin disorder that may affect the eye. It can present with protean ocular manifestations, including masquerade uveitis, heterochromia, hyphema, or glaucoma. It very rarely involves the retina and posterior segment; indeed, posterior involvement has been documented histopathologically in only one case. We present the case of a 2-year-old child with ocular JXG presenting as chronic, refractive uveitis, without skin or systemic findings. The blind, painful eye was enucleated and found to harbor a diffuse histiocytic process that involved both the anterior and posterior segments, including the retina and subretinal space. Histological, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic studies confirmed the diagnosis of JXG. The pathologic classification and differential diagnosis of systemic histiocytic disorders are discussed. Since JXG can present as masquerade pediatric uveitis, this entity should be considered in children with atypical uveitis. In rare instances, JXG may involve the posterior segment and the retina, leading to retinal detachment and blindness.

Diagnosis and management of iris juvenile xanthogranuloma

BACKGROUND

Juvenile xanthogranuloma is a benign, self-limiting cutaneous disorder most commonly encountered during infancy. Approximately 10% of cases may develop ocular or adnexal involvement, most commonly in the iris.

METHODS

We review clinical and morphological features of four cases of iris juvenile xanthogranuloma that reflect the diagnostic and therapeutic spectrum.

RESULTS

Tissue diagnosis was confirmed in all cases; in one case, the disease was diagnosed with a skin biopsy and treated with local and systemic steroids, and its persistence in the iris was confirmed with a second tissue specimen obtained five months after systemic steroid treatment.

CONCLUSION

The diagnosis and treatment of juvenile xanthogranuloma may be straightforward, particularly in cases when the ocular lesion receives early attention and responds well to topical steroids, and when there is no hyphema. However, in other instances, this entity may be difficult to manage and may necessitate iris biopsy for diagnosis and radiation therapy for treatment.

Early treatment of juvenile xanthogranuloma of the iris with subconjunctival steroids

Five infants with biopsy proved juvenile xanthogranuloma of the iris were reviewed. Early treatment with subconjunctival injection of steroids and topical steroid drops resulted in regression of the lesion in four patients. One patient, reviewed at the age of 8 months after glaucoma which had developed secondary to the iris xanthogranuloma, had been treated by surgery alone: the visual outcome was very poor.