Uveitis

Sarcoidosis

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  • Multisystem granulomatous disorder: 0.1% of population
  • 25% have ophthalmic involvement
  • F>M
  • Unknown cause: there may be an infectious trigger in susceptible individuals

Clinical features

  • Anterior uveitis
  • Intermediate uveitis
  • Posterior uveitis: CMO, periphlebitis, vascular occlusions, neovascularisation, retinal nodules (granulomata), disc swelling, peripheral multifocal chorioretinitis (small punched out atrophic spots) is highly suggestive
  • Iris nodules: Koeppe (pupillary border) and Busacca (iris surface)
  • Optic nerve granuloma
  • Conjunctival granulomas
  • Band keratopathy
  • Systemic features
    • Dry cough, dyspnoea
    • Pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, conduction defects, heart failure
    • Erythema nodosum, cutaneous granulomata, lupus pernio
    • Arthritis
    • Glandular swelling
    • Cranial nerve palsies, peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, atypical optic neuritis

Sarcoid syndromes

  • Heerfordt’s: parotid/submandibular enlargement, VII palsy, uveitis
  • Lofgren’s: fever, erythema nodosum, BHL
  • Mickulicz’s: lacrimal/salivary swelling

Tests

  • Serum ACE (positive in 60-90%): false negatives if on ACE-inhibitors

    • Also high in: children, mycobacterial infection, chronic lung diseases, Gaucher’s disease
  • CXR: bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy

    • CXR is the best screening test since it is abnormal in >90% of patients with sarcoid
  • HRCT thorax

  • MRI brain/optic nerves with gadolinium +/- LP in suspected neurosarcoid

  • PET-CT

  • Biopsy: transbronchial, conjunctival: non-caseating granulomata with whorls of epithelioid cells around multinucleated giant cells

    • Macrophages stain with CD68
  • FFA: ischaemia, leakage, new vessels, CMO

  • ICG: choroidal stromal vasculitis

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