Abstract
Purpose:
to describe clinical findings and management in eyes affected by uveal effusion syndrome (UES) presenting with clinical features mimicking inflammatory ocular diseases.
Methods:
a consecutive interventional case series of seven eyes of four patients affected by UES is reported. At the time of the presentation to our clinic all patients showed signs of previous overdosing of corticosteroids as a consequence of misdiagnosis and two eyes had undergone vitectomy for retinal detachment without benefit. The diagnosis of UES was based on ophthalmic examination, ultrasonography, biometry and magnetic resonance imaging. Five eyes with active disease were treated with scleral-thinning surgery. The procedure was based on the entity and characteristic of the disease. The site of sclerostomies was ultrasound-guided subjacent to the area of maximal choroidal swelling. Evacuative puncture was associated to sclerostomies in cases of funnel exudative retinal detachment.
Results:
One patient was diagnosed with type 1 UES, two patients with type 2 and one type 3. The mean post-operative follow-up was 18,5 months. In all eyes surgical treatment resulted in the resolution of the ciliochoroidal and retinal detachment with improvement of visual acuity. In two eyes visual restoration was limited by the long course of the disease.<br />
Conclusions:
UES may be mistaken with other causes of ciliochoroidal effusion. Early diagnosis and treatment is critical to avoid unnecessary treatments and to prevent severe visual loss due toneuroretinal damage. Surgical treatment based on the entity and characteristic of the disease may be effective for the resolution of ciliochoroidal effusion also in type 3 UES where previous conventional surgery had been found unsuccessful.