Lesões oculares por Processionária (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff): relatos de casos / Processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff) induced ocular lesions: case reports

A Processionária (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff), vulgarmente conhecida como "lagarta do pinheiro" é um inseto dos pinheiros e cedros, endêmico em meios rurais mas também em meios urbanos. A toxicidade ocular, rara nas últimas décadas pelo desenvolvimento de métodos de erradicação eficazes, é provocada pelos seus pelos e prevê-se mais frequente com o recrudescimento deste inseto. Revemos a epidemiologia da Processionária e as suas lesões oculares a partir de 3 casos clínicos. Caso 1: Doente de 64 anos recorre ao Serviço de Urgência (SU) com olho direito vermelho e sensação de corpo estranho após prática de jardinagem. A observação revela AVODc: 0,5, erosão epitelial, presença de um filamento no estroma corneano profundo, flare (++) e Tyndall (+++). Caso 2: Doente de 28 anos, recorre ao SU por dor intensa no olho direito acompanhada de hiperemia após contato com lagarta. Apresenta AVODc: 0,6 e Tyndall (+++) com presença de múltiplos filamentos (mais de 20) a diferentes profundidades da córnea. Caso 3: Doente de 26 anos, recorre ao SU por sensação de corpo estranho e lacrimejamento constante no olho direito, após realizar exercícios militares num parque urbano. Apresenta AVODc: 0,3, múltiplas erosões epiteliais puntiformes na metade nasal da córnea que recobriam filamentos de cor laranja e Tyndall (+). Foi instituída terapêutica com corticoide tó­pico e vigilância sintomática a cada um dos casos. A patologia ocular por Processionária decorre da toxicidade dos seus pelos, cuja migração ocorre preponderantemente no sentido intraocular. Inclui por isso lesões precoces (conjuntivite, queratite e uveíte) e tardias (catarata, pars planite, vitreíte e retinite). Os casos apresentados possuíam lesões iniciais, tendo recuperado totalmente do quadro inflamatório após seis meses mas mantendo os pelos inativos no estroma corneano. A gravidade destes casos prende-se à possibilidade de migração intraocular, que pode ocorrer anos após o episódio inicial, obrigando a uma vigilância ao longo da vida. CONCLUSÃO: O recrudescimento da Processionária, tanto em meios rurais como urbanos, justifica o conhecimento das lesões oculares que pode causar e o seu tratamento.

The Processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff), is an endemic insect of pine and cedar trees, existing both in rural and urban areas. Ocular toxicity, once rare due to the efficacy of eradication methods, is caused by the insects' hair and is expected to be more frequent with its recrudescence. We report two clinical cases and review the epidemiology of Processionary and its eye injuries. Case 1: a 64 year-old patient complained of red eye and foreign body sensation after being gardening. She had a BCVA of 0.5 and biomicroscopy revealed an epithelial erosion, flare (++), Tyndall (+++) and the presence of a setae in the deep corneal stroma. Case 2: a 28 year-old patient complained of severe pain in the right eye and hyperemia after having had contact with a caterpillar. He presented with a BCVA of 0.6, Tyndall (+++) and multiple filaments (over 20) at different depths in the cornea. Case 3: a 23 year-old patient refers to the ER with foreign body sensation and constant lacrimation in the right eye after having been completing military exercises in an urban park. He presented a BCVA of 0.3, multiple epithelial erosions in the nasal half of the cornea that cove­red multiple orange strands and an anterior chamber reaction (Tyndall +). Therapy was initiated with topical steroids and symptomatic surveillance. Ocular toxicity due to Processionary hairs, whose movement occurs preferentially towards the posterior pole, includes early signs (conjunctivitis, keratitis, and uveitis) and late signs (cataract, pars planitis, vitritis, and retinitis). The 3 cases presented had early lesions, having fully recovered from the inflammatory condition after 6 months. However, inactive setae were still visible in the corneal stroma. Intraocular migration, which can occur years after the initial episode, is possible and might be severe, thus requiring a life-long surveillance. CONCLUSION: Processionary recrudescence has been observed, both in rural and urban areas. It is therefore imperative to be familiar with eye injuries caused by the insect and its treatment.

Effect of defoliation by the pine processionary moth (PPM) on radial, height and volume growth of Crimean pine (Pinus nigra) trees in Turkey.

In this study, we assessed the effects of chronic defoliation on radial, height and volume growth of Crimean pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) trees of the pine processionary moth [Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni Tams (Lepidoptera:Thaumetopoeidae)] in western Turkey. Crimean pine tree ring chronologies were analyzed for evidence of the pine processionary moth (PPM). Tree ring widths from non-defoliated Crimean pine sample trees, which were not defoliated by PPM from 1998 to 2004, were used to estimate potential growth in the defoliated Crimean pine sample trees during the same time interval. In 2004, increment cores collected from 50 defoliated sample trees and 25 non-defoliated sample trees dominant or co-dominant trees. Annual radial growth indices from 1985-2004 calculated for each defoliated Crimean pine and non-defoliated Crimean pine group. We identified regional outbreaks of PPM by synchronous and sustained growth periods of Crimean pine trees. Growth functions of defoliated Crimean pine trees (3) and non-defoliated Crimean pine trees (2) were graphically compared as the cumulative sum of radial, height and volume increment. Two outbreak were identified in 1992 (1992 and 1993) and 1998 (1998-2004) in the study area. PPM caused a significance decrease (average 33%, p<0.05) in the annual radial increment in 1998-2004.