Systemic disorders associated with detachment of the neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium

Bilateral macular edema in sistemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis is a chronic, autoimmune, multisystem disease characterized by vascular dysfunction, chronic inflammation and widespread fibrosis. Although vascular involvement commonly manifests in the skin, it can also affect other organs, including the eyes. The characteristic vascular alteration is an obliterative fibroproliferative vasculopathy leading to hypoxia and tissue ischemia. We present a case of bilateral macular edema in a patient diagnosed with systemic sclerosis, as a consequence of retinal and choroidal vascular changes.

Bilateral neurosensory retinal detachment secondary to tadalafil treatment

A 53-year-old male with no systemic disorders, other than controlled arterial hypertension, presented with asymptomatic, bilateral neurosensory retinal detachment (NRD) detected during a routine revision. The patient reported the use of tadalafil (a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor [PDE5I]) for erectile dysfunction. Following suspension of the drug, subretinal fluid reabsorption was confirmed, with the persistence of chronic alterations in the optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the visual field. PDE5Is have ocular side effects, including exudative retinal detachment. Although no direct causal relationship has been confirmed, PDE5 inhibition at chorioretinal level produces vasodilatation, increased choroid hydrostatic pressure, and exudation into the subretinal space. In cases of NRD, a thorough assessment of the drug treatment history is crucial. Patients who use PDE5I drugs should be alerted to their potential ocular side effects.

Symptomatic idiopathic bilateral multifocal retinal pigment epithelial detachments

Purpose

To report a rare case of idiopathic bilateral serous retinal pigment epithelial detachments.

Observations

We present a case of a 43-year-old female patient with metamorphopsia with the presence of innumerable bilateral serous retinal pigment epithelial detachments. Detailed ocular and systemic clinical work-up revealed no underlying disease.

Conclusions

/Importance: Idiopathic multiple serous retinal pigment epithelial detachments are an extremely rare condition, that has been observed as an incidental clinical finding in asymptomatic patients. Multimodal imaging and detailed systemic work up are essential to rule out an underlying disease. Initial symptoms, as in our case, are uncommon and usually occur only in patients with complications such as choroidal neovascularization or hemorrhages. Therefore, regular follow ups are recommended to early detect and treat possible complications.

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Idiopathic multiple serous retinal pigment epithelial detachments (PEDs) are an extremely rare condition.

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Multimodal imaging is essential to confirm the serous nature of the PEDs and to rule out presence of an underlying disease.

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Regular follow ups are recommended to early detect and treat possible complications.

Association between alopecia areata and retinal diseases: A nationwide population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Growing evidence has revealed abnormalities in the retinal structures of patients with alopecia areata (AA). However, the relationship between AA and retinopathy remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between AA and retinal diseases.

METHODS

The study participants were recruited from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. We included 9909 patients with AA and 99,090 matched controls to assess the risk of retinal diseases. A Cox regression model was used for all analyses.

RESULTS

Compared with the controls, patients with AA had an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 3.10 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.26-4.26) for retinal diseases. With respect to individual retinal diseases, Patients with AA had significantly higher risks of developing retinal detachment (aHR 3.98; 95% CI 2.00-7.95), retinal vascular occlusion (aHR 2.45; 95% CI 1.22-4.92), and retinopathy (aHR 3.24; 95% CI 2.19-4.81) than controls.

LIMITATIONS

This was a retrospective cohort study. Meanwhile, almost all the participating individuals were residents of Taiwan; therefore, the validity of our findings in other demographics remains unclear.

CONCLUSION

Patients with AA had a significantly higher risk of retinal disease than controls. Further studies are needed to clarify the pathophysiology of AA and retinal diseases.

Spontaneous resolution of serous retinal detachment in preeclampsia

A 24-year-old pregnant woman applied with 2 days of sudden vision loss. Funduscopy showed serous retinal detachment along in the right eye and tear was not found. In the left eye, there were two small subretinal fluid accumulationsThe patient was diagnosed with serous retinal detachment due to preeclampsia. Serous retinal detachment of the patient regressed spontaneously within 1 month. All pregnant women with gestational hypertension should undergo retinal examination.

Prevalence and causes of clinically detectable uveitic serous retinal detachment

PURPOSE

To describe the prevalence and causes of clinically detectable uveitic serous retinal detachment (SRD).

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of a large clinic-based series.

RESULTS

Serous retinal detachment was present in 78 of the 2761 (2.8%) patients. Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease was the most commonly identified cause (38/78, 48.7%). Less common associated etiologies included toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis (8/78, 10.3%), sarcoidosis (5/78, 6.4%), intraocular lymphoma (4/78, 5.1%), presumed tuberculosis (3/78, 3.8%), and posterior scleritis (2/78, 2.6%). Fifteen patients (19.2%) with uveitic SRD at presentation had no identifiable etiology and were labeled idiopathic or indeterminant. Thirty of the 38 patients with VKH disease (78.9%) had positive neurological and/or integumentary findings, and therefore constituted either complete or incomplete subtypes of the disease. The remaining eight (21.1%) had presumed/ocular VKH disease limited to the eye.

CONCLUSION

While VKH disease by far is the most common cause of clinically detectable uveitic SRD, a number of other non-infectious and infectious inflammatory disorders were also associated with this distinctive clinical finding.

Bilateral neurosensory retinal detachment secondary to tadalafil treatment

A 53-year-old male with no systemic disorders, other than controlled arterial hypertension, presented with asymptomatic, bilateral neurosensory retinal detachment (NRD) detected during a routine revision. The patient reported the use of tadalafil (a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor [PDE5I]) for erectile dysfunction. Following suspension of the drug, subretinal fluid reabsorption was confirmed, with the persistence of chronic alterations in the optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the visual field. PDE5Is have ocular side effects, including exudative retinal detachment. Although no direct causal relationship has been confirmed, PDE5 inhibition at chorioretinal level produces vasodilatation, increased choroid hydrostatic pressure, and exudation into the subretinal space. In cases of NRD, a thorough assessment of the drug treatment history is crucial. Patients who use PDE5I drugs should be alerted to their potential ocular side effects.

Legionnaire's disease presenting as bilateral central scotomata: a case report

Background

Legionnaire’s disease is one of the major causes of community-acquired pneumonia and is occasionally complicated by neurological symptoms. However, reports of ocular lesions due to Legionnaire’s disease are limited.

Case presentation

We report the case of a patient with Legionnaire’s disease presenting as bilateral central scotomata due to retinal lesions. The patient consulted due to fever and bilateral central scotomata, as well as other extrapulmonary symptoms. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed bilateral accumulations of fluid under the retina, and the patient was diagnosed with bilateral exudative retinal detachment. Later, Legionnaire’s disease was confirmed by pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging and positive urinary antigen for Legionella pneumophila. After administration of antibiotics, the bilateral central scotomata and bilateral subretinal fluid accumulations completely resolved, as did the other extrapulmonary symptoms and the pulmonary infiltrates. Thus, the bilateral central scotomata due to exudative retinal detachment were thought to be caused by Legionnaire’s disease.

Conclusions

This case demonstrates that Legionnaire’s disease can present as bilateral central scotomata. We may consider the possibility of extrapulmonary involvement complicating Legionnaire’s disease when we encounter bilateral ocular lesions in patients with fever and pneumonia.

Effects of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors on choroid and ocular vasculature: a literature review

To provide information on the effects of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors on choroidal vessels and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and possible implications for development of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Two independent investigators conducted a qualitative review of PubMed to identify studies on the choroidal effect of PDE5 inhibitors in June 2019. The search used key words that included PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, choroid, choroidal flow, choroidal vessels, choroidal thickness, CSC, AMD or a combination. Only studies which assessed choroidal findings were included. Many ocular diseases are related to changes in choroidal thickness and perfusion. Patients with AMD, who have decreased choroidal perfusion, may manifest more severely diminished choroidal ability to deliver oxygen and other metabolites to the retina, leading to growth of neovascular tissue. As a result of this engorgement of the choroidal vasculature, some patients may have leakage across the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and accumulation of subretinal fluid, resulting in CSC. Transient visual symptoms, i.e., changes in color perception and increased light sensitivity, are well-known adverse effects, but there have been rare reports of vision-threatening ocular complications in users of PDE5 inhibitors, such as nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and cilioretinal artery occlusion. The choroid is a vascular tissue analogous in many respects to the corpus cavernosum, and PDE5 inhibitors may increase the choroidal thickness and perfusion. While it is intuitively obvious that thickness of the choroid alone does not guarantee better choriocapillaris oxygenation, it is a reasonable step towards ameliorating ischemia. These drugs have numerous physiologic effects on the choroid related to blood flow, such as clinical consequences in CSC and AMD.

Bilateral serous retinal detachments associated with burkitt lymphoma

Purpose

To report a case of bilateral serous retinal detachments in a patient found to have burkitt lymphoma.

Observations

A patient who presented with bilateral serous retinal detachments and “B” symptoms underwent extensive workup and was found to have burkitt lymphoma. Multiagent chemotherapy was initiated with resolution of the serous retinal detachments and visual recovery occurring in parallel to disease remission.

Conclusions and Importance

Burkitt lymphoma can present with serous retinal detachments and should be included in the differential for a patient with bilateral serous retinal detachments along with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome.

[Acute loss of visual acuity after pregnancy]

A 28-year-old female patient presented with acute loss of visual acuity after pre-eclampsia. Funduscopy revealed minor alterations of the posterior pole of the macula. Optical coherence tomography displayed a bilateral neurosensory detachment. Fluorescence angiography showed filling defects of the choroid in both eyes. These findings were in line with choroidal ischemia following a hypertensive episode. The symptoms disappeared completely after 3 months without additional treatment. To clarify ambiguous pathologies the ophthalmologist should always initiate a comprehensive evaluation in internal medicine to find the right diagnosis and treatment.

Bilateral Diffuse and Cluster Pigment Epithelial Detachment Associated with Diffuse Proliferative Glomerulonephritis

Retinal pigment epithelium detachment (PED) is an area of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) elevation with minimal or no sensory retinal detachment resulting from the accumulation of sub-RPE fluid. There are many etiological factors that lead to the development of PED. PED may be observed as an isolated finding or in association with ocular and systemic conditions. In this case we report a 23-year-old male with bilateral cluster PED associated with diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (DPGN). The importance of current report is that development of PED and DPGN is more than a simple incidental event. Patients with DPGN should have regular fundus examinations, and follow-up should be conducted by an ophthalmologist who is aware of the possible presence of these diseases.

Risk of serous retinal detachment in patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis

The aim of this retrospective, nationwide, matched cohort study was to investigate the association of serous retinal detachment with having end-stage renal disease (ESRD) while on dialysis. The cohort study included 94,024 patients with ESRD on dialysis registered between January 2000 to December 2009 in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. An age- and sex-matched control group comprised 94,024 patients selected from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. Information for each patient was collected from the index date until December 2011. Twenty-seven ESRD patients and 11 controls developed serous retinal detachment (P < 0.001) during follow-up, demonstrating a significantly increased risk of serous retinal detachment in patients with ESRD on dialysis compared with controls (incidence rate ratio = 3.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.68–6.83). After adjustment for potential confounders, patients were 3.86 times more likely to develop serous retinal detachment than the full cohort (adjusted HR = 3.86, 95% CI = 1.15–12.96). In conclusion, patients with ESRD on dialysis demonstrate an increased risk of serous retinal detachment. Interdisciplinary collaboration between nephrologists and ophthalmologists is important to deal with serous retinal detachment in patients with ESRD on dialysis and prevent impairments of visual acuity.

Massive Retinal Pigment Epithelial Detachment Following Acute Hypokalemic Quadriparesis in Dengue Fever

Purpose:

To describe an unusual retinal manifestation of dengue fever in an endemic region.

Case Report:

A 35 year old male presenting with acute onset decreased vision in his right eye, was found to have a massive retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED) extending up to the vascular arcades. He had been diagnosed with acute hypokalemic quadriparesis in dengue fever in the preceding week, which had resolved following treatment. The patient was managed conservatively. At three months follow up, there was spontaneous flattening of the PEDs with improvement in visual acuity.

Conclusion:

Dengue fever complicated by acute hypokalemic quadriparesis can be associated with PED, which can be large. The condition resolves spontaneously and bears a good prognosis.

Pharmacology of the retinal pigment epithelium, the interface between retina and body system

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a close, interactive partner to the photoreceptors as well as an interface with the endothelium of the choroid and thus with the body's circulatory system. To fulfill these roles, the RPE communicates with neighboring tissue by secretion of a large variety of factors and is able to react to secreted factors via a plethora of transmembrane receptors. Clinically relevant local pharmacological effects are caused by anti-VEGF-A treatment in choroidal neovascularization or by carboanhydrase inhibitors reducing fluid accumulation in the macula. Being exposed to the bloodstream, the RPE reacts to systemic disease, such as diabetes or hypertension, but also to systemic pharmacological intervention, for example to hypotensive drugs acting on the renin-angiotensin-system. Sustained pharmacological treatments, in particular, cause side effects at the RPE with consequences for both RPE function and photoreceptor survival. Among these are systemic inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme, insulin treatment in diabetes and anti-VEGF-A therapy. Given the special anatomical and functional relationships of the RPE, pharmacological intervention targeting either the eye or the body systemically should take potential alteration of RPE and subsequently photoreceptor function into account.

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease: review of a rare autoimmune disease targeting antigens of melanocytes

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKHD) is a rare granulomatous inflammatory disease that affects pigmented structures, such as eye, inner ear, meninges, skin and hair. This disease is mainly a Th1 lymphocyte mediated aggression to melanocytes after a viral trigger in the presence of HLA-DRB1*0405 allele. The absence of ocular trauma or previous intraocular surgery sets VKHD appart from sympathetic ophthalmia, its main differential diagnosis. The disease has an acute onset of bilateral blurred vision with hyperemia preceded by flu-like symptoms. The acute uveitic stage is characterized by a diffuse choroiditis with serous retinal detachment and optic disc hyperemia and edema. Fluorescein angiography in this phase demonstrates multiple early hyperfluorescent points. After the acute uveitic stage, ocular and integumentary system pigmentary changes may appear. Ocular findings may be accompanied by lymphocytic meningitis, hearing impairment and/or tinnitus in a variable proportion of patients. Prompt diagnosis followed by early, aggressive and long-term treatment with high-dose corticosteroids is most often ensued by good visual outcomes. However, some patients may experience chronic uveal inflammation with functional eye deterioration. The current review discusses the general features of VKHD, including epidemiology, classification into categories, differential diagnosis and current therapeutic approaches.

Idiopathic multiple retinal pigment epithelial detachments - A case report

Retinal pigment epithelial detachment, often asymptomatic is a common retinal finding. Multiple serous retinal pigment epithelial detachment especially in a female is very uncommon. We describe a case of multiple retinal pigment epithelial detachments throughout the fundus in a 51-year old female otherwise asymptomatic. Indocyanine green angiography and fundus auto fluorescence showed abnormalities with a normal systemic work-up. This is the first report of an asymptomatic patient correlating angiogram with auto fluorescence in multiple serous retinal pigment epithelial detachments.

Association of systemic and ocular risk factors with neurosensory retinal detachment in diabetic macular edema: a case-control study

Background

Diabetic macular edema (DME) with neurosensory retinal detachment (NSD) remains an important cause of visual loss in patients with diabetes. The aim of the study was to elucidate the association of systemic and ocular risk factors with NSD in DME.

Methods

In a retrospective case–control study, we reviewed clinical records of all the subjects with DME seen between January 2010 and December 2010. Cases and controls were selected based on optical coherence tomography and stereoscopic biomicroscopy review. NSD was defined as subfoveal fluid accumulation under detached retina with or without overlying foveal thickening. The association between the presence of NSD, blood pressure, lipid status and various other biochemical parameters was evaluated.

Results

Group I (cases) included 37 eyes of 33 patients having DME with NSD and Group II (controls) included 30 eyes of 21 patients having DME without NSD. Patients ranged in age (mean ± SD) from 50 to 62 years (56.6 +/-6.78) for cases and from 51 to 65 years (58.4+/-7.84) for controls. The duration of diabetes ranged from 4 to 15 year (mean 9.45+/-6.08) among cases and 4 to 14 years (9.7+/-5.12) among controls. Significant risk factors for NSD were high values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.039 and 0.043 respectively).

Conclusion

High systolic and diastolic blood pressures are independent and significant risk factors for NSD in DME.

Diagnosis and classification of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is a systemic autoimmune disorder that affects pigmented tissues of the body, with its most dire manifestations affecting the eyes. This review focuses on the diagnostic criteria of VKH disease, including some information on history, epidemiology, appropriate clinical and classification criteria, etiopathogenesis, treatment and outcomes. Expert review of most relevant literature from the disease's first description to 2013 and correlation with the experience in the care of VKH disease patients at a tertiary Uveitis Service in Brazil gathered over the past 40 years. The clinical manifestations and ancillary assessment of VKH disease have been summarized in the Revised Diagnostic Criteria proposed in 2001 in a manner that allows systematic diagnosis of both acute and chronic patients. It includes the early acute uveitic manifestations (bilateral diffuse choroiditis with bullous serous retinal detachment and optic disk hyperemia), the late ocular manifestations (diffuse fundus depigmentation, nummular depigmented scars, retinal pigment epithelium clumping and/or migration, recurrent or chronic anterior uveitis), besides the extraocular manifestations (neurological/auditory and integumentary). There are two exclusion criteria, i.e. absence of previous ocular penetrating trauma or surgery and any other ocular disease that could be confounded with VKH disease. HLA-DRB1*0405 plays an important role in pathogenesis, rendering carriers more susceptible to disease. The primary ocular pathological feature is a diffuse thickening of the uveal tract in the acute phase. Later on, there may be a compromise of choriocapillaris, retinal pigment epithelium and outer retina, mostly due to an "upstream" effect, with clinical correlates as fundus derangements. Functional tests (electroretinogram and visual field testing) as well as imaging modalities (retinography, fluorescein/indocyanine green angiography, optical coherence tomography and ultrasound) play an important role in diagnosis, severity grading as well as disease monitorization. Though high-dose systemic corticosteroids remain gold-standard therapy, refractory cases may need other agents (cyclosporine A, anti-metabolites and biological agents). In spite of good visual outcomes in the majority of patients, knowledge about disease progression even after the acute phase and its impact on visual function warrant further investigation.

[Multiple retinal pigment epithelial detachments: a case report]

CASE REPORT

A 47 year-old female who presented with a bilateral idiopathic multiple pigment epithelial detachment (PED) in a routine visit. This pathology is shown as a rare clinical manifestation, where the outcome is resolution of localized atrophy of the pigment epithelium, with a good functional prognosis.

DISCUSSION

PED is a common clinical manifestation in several chorioretinal diseases, particularly in macular degeneration associated with age. Idiopathic PED can be considered as a kind of central type II serous chorioretinopathy. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) are complementary tests to study the number, extension, and nature of these PED.

Lyme disease: resolution of a serous retinal detachment and chorioretinal folds after antibiotic therapy

BACKGROUND

Ocular manifestations of Lyme disease are uncommon. There has not been a documented case of serous retinal detachment and chorioretinal folds because of Lyme disease that have resolved after only antibiotic treatment.

METHODS (CASE REPORT)

A 69-year-old white man with a history of recent tick bites presented with a gradual decrease in visual acuity in the left eye. Initial visual acuity was 3/200 in the left eye. Examination revealed an inferior, serous, macula-off retinal detachment. Chorioretinal folds were also noted. Lyme screening antibody test (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) was positive and a confirmatory Western blot was immunoglobulin M negative and immunoglobulin G positive.

RESULTS

Oral amoxicillin (500 mg 3 times daily for 2 weeks) was given followed by intravenous ceftriaxone (2 g daily for 4 weeks). After two weeks of ceftriaxone, fundus examination and ultrasonography showed complete reattachment of the macula and periphery, and only mild residual chorioretinal folds remained on fluorescein angiogram.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that Borrelia burgdorferi infection led to choroidal inflammation with secondary chorioretinal folds and a serous retinal detachment, which resolved with antibiotic therapy alone. This supports the suspicion of an intraocular infection, perhaps involving the choroid, as opposed to a secondary autoimmune reaction.

Unilateral, recurrent exudative retinal detachment in association with pansinusitis

AIM

To report a patient with unilateral exudative retinal detachment due to pansinusitis.

METHODS

Case report.

RESULTS

A 65-year-old woman with a two-month history of blurred vision, red eye and lid swelling in her left eye was referred to us. Her best-corrected visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/200 in the left. Conjunctival vessels were engorged in the OS. Funduscopy revealed a 360° exudative detachment in OS and computerized tomography (CT) imaging revealed pansinusitis. Systemic antibiotic treatment was employed and exudative detachment regressed. However, exudative detachment remitted as soon as antibiotic treatment ceased. Finally she underwent sinus surgery and decompression of the orbita. Her visual acuity improved to 20/100 just two days after the surgery, stabilized at 20/30 and no further recurrences occured during the follow-up of 10 months.

CONCLUSION

Since exudative retinal detachment usually accompanies systemic inflammatory or neoplastic diseases, systemic screening and collaboration with other disciplines are mandatory. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a case that developed exudative retinal detachment due to pansinusitis and only recovered after decompression surgery.

Comparing different imaging modalities in harada disease: a case report

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to compare fluorescein angiography, infrared imaging, fundus autofluorescence, and optical coherent tomography for the diagnosing and monitoring of Harada disease.

METHODS

This was an interventional case report.

RESULTS

A 46-year-old Chinese woman presented with headache, tinnitus, and diminished vision in both eyes. Examination revealed bilateral exudative retinal detachment. Optical coherence tomography showed fluid accumulation in three different layers (intraretinal, subretinal, and subretinal pigment epithelium). Fundus autofluorescence revealed regions of hypoautofluorescence as a result of the thick fluid accumulation. Infrared imaging revealed more clinically relevant information than did fundus autofluorescence in this case.

CONCLUSION

In Harada disease, excessive fluid accumulates in three different layers. Optical coherence tomography is the most effective modality in measuring the axial distribution of the fluid in the z-plane, whereas infrared imaging is better at providing the information in the x-y plane, compared with fundus autofluorescence.

Resolution of persistent exudative retinal detachment in a case of Sturge-Weber syndrome with anti-VEGF administration

PURPOSE

Report the resolution of a persistent exudative retinal detachment in a patient with Sturge-Weber syndrome following intravitreal pegaptanib injection.

DESIGN

Case report.

METHODS

A 13-year-old male with Sturge-Weber syndrome presented with a choroidal hemangioma associated with an exudative retinal detachment that failed to resolve 6 months after external beam radiation therapy.

RESULTS

A single intravitreal pegaptanib injection resulted in 50% resolution of the detachment within 1 week and complete resolution within a month. Despite anatomic success, vision remained poor.

CONCLUSIONS

VEGF likely plays a role in the pathogenesis of Sturge-Weber choroidal hemangioma-associated exudative retinal detachment and offers potential treatment.

Retinal Pigment Epithelial Detachment in Sarcoidosis

PURPOSE

To report primary retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) detachments in sarcoidosis.

DESIGN

Case report.

METHODS

Clinical findings, fluorescence angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) results are presented and discussed.

RESULTS

A 54-year-old Hispanic male with biopsy proved sarcoidosis presented with multiple RPE detachment in both eyes. Except for acute iritis, there were no other ocular manifestations of sarcoidosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Detachments of the RPE may be a rare manifestation of ocular sarcoidosis.

Choroidal ischemia and serous macular detachment associated with severe postoperative pain

To report the association of a unilateral serous macular detachment with severe postoperative pain. A 71-year-old woman presented with a sudden decrease in vision in the right eye, seven days after a total knee replacement arthroplasty. The patient's history was unremarkable except for a severe pain greater than the visual analog scale of 8 points for about 2 days after surgery. Retinal examination showed a well differentiated serous detachment that was about 3.5 disc diameter in size and located in the macular area. Fluorecein angiography and indocyanine green angiography showed delayed perfusion of the choriocapillaris without leakage points in the early phase and persistent hypofluorescence with pooling of dye in the subretinal space in the late phase. There was a spontaneous resolution of the serous detachment and the choroidal changes with residual pigment epithelial changes. Severe postoperative pain may influence the sympathetic activity and introduce an ischemic injury with a focal, choroidal vascular compromise and secondary dysfunction of overlying RPE cells in select patients.

[Bilateral serous detachment of the neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium with rip of the peripheral pigment epithelium]

HISTORY

A 52-year-old patient with atypical plasmocytoma presented with a bilateral serous detachment of the retina as well as a huge detachment of the pigment epithelium (PE) in the periphery. Shortly thereafter the PE ruptured. In the left eye this led to substantial central macular fibrosis.

DIAGNOSIS

The clinically healthy patient showed a nephrotic syndrome; neither typical monoclonality was detectable nor was erythropoiesis or myelopoiesis reduced.

THERAPY

To avoid further reduction of VA pars plana vitrectomy (ppV) with silicone oil tamponade and laser coagulation was performed. Clinical findings were reduced significantly and VA was stabilized for 2.5 years.

DISCUSSION

PE detachments and serous retinal detachments in patients with nephrotic syndrome are only mentioned in a few cases. However, a peripheral rupture of the PE to this extent seems to be very rare. Early ppV with silicone oil and laser coagulation may prevent further macular fibrosis.

Bilateral retinal detachment in a patient with Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada syndrome

We present a 38-year-old woman with bilateral serous retinal detachments and bilateral panuveitis on fundoscopic exam. CT of the orbits and MRI scans revealed bilateral ocular choroidal thickening and bilateral retinal detachments; however, no other CNS or meningeal lesion was detected. This patient met the clinical criteria for Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) Syndrome. Review of VKH syndrome as well as the radiographic findings will be discussed.

Comparative study of two sets of criteria for the diagnosis of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's disease

PURPOSE

The Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's (VKH) Disease Committee established the "Revised diagnostic criteria for VKH disease" in 2001. The purpose of the present study was to assess the concordance between these criteria and the traditional Sugiura's diagnosis system.

DESIGN

Observational case series.

METHODS

The medical records of patients previously diagnosed with VKH disease based upon Sugiura's criteria at the Uveitis Survey Clinic of the Hokkaido University Hospital between 1991 and 2003 were retrospectively reevaluated using the VKH Committee's revised diagnostic criteria for VKH disease.

RESULTS

Sugiura's criteria were used to identify 169 patients with VKH disease. All patients were Japanese, and 95 cases (56%) were women. Mean age at the time of their first visit to our clinic was 44.7 +/- 13.9 years (range, 9 to 74 years). Using the VKH Committee's new criteria, 91.7% of the previously diagnosed VKH patients were classified as having the disease. Of this group, 11.8% were classified as complete, 71% incomplete, and 8.9% as probable VKH disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The VKH Committee's revised diagnostic criteria proved useful for VKH disease diagnosis, as the concordance rate for the two criteria was more than 90%. However, patients who had prior cataract surgery or who lacked signs of serous retinal detachment were not classified as having VKH disease because of exclusion by the VKH Committee's new criteria.

Viagra-associated serous macular detachment

PURPOSE

To describe the OCT findings in two cases of idiopathic serous macular detachments associated with Sildenafil (Viagra) use.

METHODS

Two patients were identified with idiopathic serous macular detachments associated with Viagra use. Each patient underwent rigorous historical questioning to rule out known causes of serous macular detachments and to determine contributing factors. A comprehensive ocular examination was performed including dilated biomicroscopic examination of the macula and indirect ophthalmoscopic evaluation of the retinal periphery. Additional evaluation included color fundus photography with FA and ICG, OCT analysis of the macula and B-scan ultrasonography. Systemic workup included MRI of the brain and orbits, CT of the brain, orbits, chest and abdomen, blood chemistries and electrophoresis, lumbar puncture with CSF analysis and chest radiographs.

RESULTS

Both patients demonstrated idiopathic serous macular detachment associated with peri-macular vitelliform deposits. Although notable peripapillary atrophy and RPE mottling were present, there was no evidence of heme, exudate, or fibrosis to suggest a CNVM. FA showed no focal areas of leakage. Early and late frames of the ICG demonstrated engorged choroidal vessels without frank leakage. Extensive medical evaluation failed to reveal a systemic etiology. OCT findings demonstrated large serous macular detachments that corresponded to the use or discontinuation of Viagra. Discontinuation of Viagra coincided with complete resolution of the serous macular detachment in one patient and improvement of the serous macular detachment in the other. When one patient resumed Viagra use, he experienced a recurrent serous macular detachment.

CONCLUSIONS

We report the OCT findings of two cases of idiopathic serous macular detachment associated with use of the potent vasodilator Sildenafil (Viagra).