Incident Ocular Inflammation After COVID-19 Infection in a US Veteran Population.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether COVID-19 infection is a risk factor for incident ocular inflammatory disease. DESIGN: Retrospective case-crossover study. METHODS: The US Veterans Health Administration Corporate Data Warehouse was used to identify patients with positive COVID-19 testing and incident ocular inflammatory disease between March 2020 and May 2022. The timing of incident ocular inflammation and COVID-19 testing was assessed for each participant to determine whether positive COVID-19 testing occurred 0-60 days prior to incident ocular inflammation diagnosis (risk period) or 15-75 days after incident ocular inflammation diagnosis (control period). The main outcome measure was the odds of positive COVID-19 testing in the risk period versus control period. RESULTS: Of the 1006 patients with incident ocular inflammation and a positive COVID-19 test in the study period, the age mean ± standard deviation was 62.6 ± 9.8 years and 840 (83%) were male. The odds of COVID-19 exposure was higher in the risk than control period (odds ratio [OR], 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-2.36; P = 0.03). Ocular inflammation was more likely to be bilateral in the risk period (OR, 3.97; 95% CI, 1.01-23.01; P = 0.03). Other ocular features and demographic characteristics were similar in the risk and control periods. Most cases of ocular inflammation were quiescent at the most recent eye examination. CONCLUSIONS: Incident ocular inflammation is associated with COVID-19 infection, but the increased risk is small, and the ocular inflammation is typically acute.

Sclerouveitis with exudative retinal detachment associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

Purpose: To describe a case of sclerouveitis with exudative retinal detachment in a patient with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Observations: An 82-year-old woman with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) presented with acute painful right eye redness and decreased visual acuity. Examination revealed right eye anterior and posterior scleritis with exudative retinal detachment, as well as 2+ anterior chamber cell in the right eye and 0.5+ in the left eye. Workup was negative for infectious etiologies and chest imaging revealed no pulmonary nodules. She was treated with prednisolone drops and a tapering course of oral prednisone as she started therapy with ruxolitinib for CMML. Inflammation resolved with treatment, and she remained quiet off steroids while on ruxolitinib. Conclusions and importance: This is the first case report to specifically describe sclerouveitis associated with CMML, despite the known association of this cancer with various inflammatory manifestations. This case demonstrates that CMML may present with scleritis and uveitis, and should be considered as the underlying etiology of inflammatory eye disease in patients with a diagnosis of CMML.

Use of Short-wave Blue Fundus Autofluorescence to Detect and Monitor Acute Regional Outer Retinopathy in Punctate Inner Choroidopathy.

PURPOSE: To describe the utility of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) for detection and monitoring of acute regional outer retinopathy in punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC). DESIGN: Multimodal imaging case series. METHODS: Patients with PIC and acute regional hyperautofluorescence were identified. Multimodal imaging, treatment, and clinical course were reviewed. RESULTS: Six eyes of five patients were included (5 women, mean age 39 years, range 28-69). All endorsed new symptoms. Short-wave blue FAF revealed regional hyperautofluorescence in the symptomatic eye, corresponding to ellipsoid zone (EZ) loss on optical coherence tomography (OCT). All patients were treated with local or systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppression, with resolution of symptoms and acute imaging abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic acute regional outer retinopathy in PIC, manifesting as hyperautofluorescence and EZ loss, is easily identifiable using widefield FAF imaging. Treatment resulted in resolution of symptoms and imaging findings in our cohort, and should be considered in this patient population.

Risk of Cataract in Intermediate Uveitis.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of and predictive factors for cataract in intermediate uveitis. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Patients were identified from the Systemic Immunosuppressive Therapy for Eye Diseases Cohort Study, in which medical records were reviewed to determine demographic and clinical data of every eye/patient at every visit at 5 participating US tertiary care uveitis centers. The primary outcome was development of vision-compromising cataract as defined by a decrease in visual acuity to 20/40 or less, or requiring cataract surgery. Survival analysis assessed visually defined cataract to avoid bias due to timing of surgery vis-à-vis inflammatory status. RESULTS: Among 2,190 eyes of 1,302 patients with intermediate uveitis, the cumulative incidence of cataract formation was 7.6% by 1 year (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.2%-9.1%), increasing to 36.6% by 10 years (95% CI = 31.2%-41.6%). Increased cataract risk was observed in eyes with concurrent anterior uveitis causing posterior synechiae (hazard ratio = 2.68, 95% CI = 2.00-3.59, P < .001), and in eyes with epiretinal membrane formation (hazard ratio = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.15-2.07, P = .004). Higher dose corticosteroid therapy was associated with significantly higher incidence of cataract, especially time-updated use of topical corticosteroids ≥2 times/d or ≥4 periocular corticosteroid injections. Low-dose corticosteroid medications (oral prednisone 7.5 mg daily or less, or topical corticosteroid drops <2 times/d) were not associated with increased cataract risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that the incidence of clinically important cataract in intermediate uveitis is moderate. The risk is higher with markers of severity and with higher doses of corticosteroid medications, the latter being potentially modifiable.

Real-Time Multiplex PCR Analysis in Infectious Uveitis.

Introduction: Infectious uveitis is a serious inflammatory condition that often causes grave ocular morbidity including permanent vision loss and damage to the structures of the eye. The most common causes of infectious uveitis include herpesviruses and Toxoplasma gondii. Traditionally, these infections have been identified and differentiated based on characteristic clinical examination findings; however, there is often overlap between these presentations and the unique cause of a given patient's infection is not always clear. Therefore, a reliable and fast method for definitively diagnosing infectious uveitis would be helpful and potentially sight-saving. Several groups have recently found experimental success with real-time multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was undertaken to further understand the current state of real-time multiplex PCR and its clinical use. Search terms including "real time multiplex PCR", "infectious uveitis", and "uveitis diagnosis" were used. Appropriate English-language articles were included in this review. Results: Publications from four main groups (two from the United States, one from Japan, and one from India) citing success with real-time multiplex PCR were compared and contrasted. All four groups used the same technique to develop a highly sensitive and specific multiplex PCR analysis and found that their tests maintained high sensitivity and specificity during validation testing. These tests confirmed clinical suspicions in the majority of cases of infectious uveitis, but there were also cases of clinical misdiagnosis that were corrected based on molecular pathogen detection. These patients were then initiated on appropriate antimicrobial therapy with subsequent clinical improvement. Discussion: Real-time multiplex PCR is a highly sensitive and specific laboratory assay that allows for rapid and reliable molecular diagnosis of causative agents in infectious uveitis. This in turn facilitates swift initiation of effective therapy and prevents long-term ocular damage and vision loss.

Utility of Leflunomide in the Treatment of Drug Resistant Cytomegalovirus Retinitis.

PURPOSE: To describe leflunomide use in the treatment of drug resistant cytomegalovirus retinitis. Leflunomide has been shown to be effective in the treatment of systemic CMV viremia. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of patients with CMV retinitis treated with leflunomide. RESULTS: Two HIV-negative organ transplant recipients with UL 97 mutation resistant-genotype CMV were identified. Patient 1 developed CMV viremia post-kidney transplant and subsequently bilateral CMV retinitis. Retinitis progressed, despite intravitreal injection of ganciclovir and foscarnet, and IV foscarnet and oral valganciclovir. Retinitis control was achieved with the addition of oral leflunomide. Disease remained inactive for 22 months. Patient 2 developed CMV retinitis after lung transplant. Disease progressed despite intravitreal foscarnet injections and oral valganciclovir. Control of retinitis was achieved with addition of oral leflunomide, allowing cessation of intravitreal therapy. Disease remained inactive until his death. CONCLUSIONS: Leflunomide may be considered as a treatment option for resistant CMV retinitis.