Retinal vasculitis with secondary proliferative changes in wegener's granulomatosis

ABSTRACT

Wegener's granulomatosis is characterized by a chronic, focal, necrotizing, and granulomatous vasculitis. Retinal vasculitis is well-known ocular complication of this mysterious disease. We report a case of Wegener's granulomatosis with characteristic systemic involvement, and where the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic evaluation of a nasal mucosal biopsy specimen. Almost seven years after initial presentation, the disease being controlled by cyclophosphamide and steroid therapy, peripheral vasculitis, complicated by neovascular tufts at the border between perfused and non-perfused retina, was discovered in the patient's right eye. Peripheral scatter argon laser photocoagulation applied to the ischemic retina was followed by regression of the neovascular tufts