Abstract
Purpose :
Retinoschisis is an uncommon reported finding in intermediate uveitis, however, the prevalence and course of retinoschisis in this setting is unclear. We investigate the prevalence of retinoschisis in a cohort of patients with intermediate uveitis, and describe the clinical features and outcomes of this presentation.
Methods :
Patients with intermediate uveitis, as well as both intermediate uveitis and retinoschisis, who were evaluated at the National Eye Institute (NEI) uveitis clinic from 2005 to 2016 were identified. A retrospective chart review was conducted in order to determine the prevalence, features and outcomes of retinoschisis in intermediate uveitis.
Results :
A total of 261 patients with intermediate uveitis were identified. Of these 261 patients, 9 patients (3.4%) or 11 eyes were observed to have retinoschisis (6 male, 3 female, mean age 27.4 years). Of the subtypes of intermediate uveitis, idiopathic intermediate uveitis was the most commonly noted diagnosis (88.9%). The retinoschisis was bilateral in 2 patients (22.2%). The most common anatomical location of retinoschisis was the inferotemporal quadrant (72.7% eyes). 7 of the 11 eyes affected by schisis (63.6%) had a history of snowballs or snowbanks in the affected eye. Of the 4 patients who developed retinoschisis during the course of their follow-up at the NEI, their mean age at diagnosis of the schisis was 19.5 years and the onset of schisis occurred on average 9 years after the diagnosis of intermediate uveitis (range 2-24 years). All 4 patients were quiet preceding the identification of schisis. Only 1 of the 11 eyes (9.1%) had inner retinal holes at the site of the retinoschisis. Progression of the retinoschisis was not observed in any patient, and no patient developed a retinal detachment or required pars plana vitrectomy for the retinoschisis.
Conclusions :
Retinoschisis represents an uncommon but important complication of intermediate uveitis. Careful fundus examination, especially of the inferotemporal periphery, should be performed in all patients with intermediate uveitis in order to identify this complication.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.