Abstract
Purpose: :
We examined the incidence of herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) anterior uveitis in patients with unilateral granulomatous anterior uveitis complicated by intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation. In addition, we compared the background of the patients of HSV, VZV and CMV anterior uveitis.
Methods: :
We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with unilateral hypertensive anterior uveitis who visited The University of Tokyo Hospital from February 2004 to May 2009. The cases of uveitis with retinitis or optic neuritis were excluded. Patients with active skin lesions of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) were clinically diagnosed as VZV anterior uveitis. In other patients, anterior chamber taps were performed to determine the cause of uveitis. The aqueous samples were used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay of the 3 types of herpetic virus DNA (HSV, VZV and CMV). The background of patients was reviewed from the clinical records retrospectively.
Results: :
In a total of 80 patients enrolled in this study, HSV, VZV and CMV anterior uveitis was 12 patients (15%), 12 patients (15%) and 15patients (19%), respectively. Male gender ratio of HSV, VZV and CMV were 58.3, 58.3 and 80.0% (n.s., Chi-square test). Mean of age were 48.7, 55.6 and 62.4 years old, respectively (n.s., Student’s t-test). History of the recurrence of anterior uveitis were 50.0, 58.3 and 100%, respectively (p<0.05, Fisher’s exact test).
Conclusions: :
Clinicians should be aware that not only HSV and VZV, but also CMV can cause unilateral granulomatous anterior uveitis, and those prevalence rates might be similar level. Characteristics of the patients with CMV anterior uveitis were old age, male gender, history of recurrence.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications • inflammation