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Retinal pigmentary changes in chronic uveitis mimicking retinitis pigmentosa

  • Inflammatory Disorders
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To present retinal pigmentary changes mimicking retinitis pigmentosa (RP) as a finding of advanced uveitis.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients without a family history of inherited retinal degenerations who presented with retinal pigment changes and signs of past or present intraocular inflammation. Comprehensive eye examination including best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination and dilated fundus examination was performed on all patients in addition to color fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography (FA), and full-field electroretinogram testing.

Results

We identified five patients with ages ranging from 33 to 66 years, who presented with RP-like retinal pigmentary changes which were eventually attributed to longstanding uveitis. The changes were bilateral in three cases and unilateral in two cases. Four of five cases presented with active inflammation, and the remaining case showed evidence of active intraocular inflammation during follow-up.

Conclusion

This study highlights the overlapping features of advanced uveitis and RP including the extensive pigmentary changes. Careful review of possible past uveitis history, detailed examination of signs of past or present inflammation and ancillary testing, with FA often being most helpful, are required for the correct diagnosis. This is important, because intervention can prevent further damage if the cause of the pigmentary changes is destructive inflammation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    D. Damla Sevgi, Samaneh Davoudi, Jason Comander & Lucia Sobrin

  2. School of Medicine, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey

    D. Damla Sevgi

Authors
  1. D. Damla Sevgi
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  2. Samaneh Davoudi
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  3. Jason Comander
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  4. Lucia Sobrin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lucia Sobrin.

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Funding

This study was not funded by any grant or source to inform.

Conflict of interest

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge, or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

None of the authors have any proprietary interests or conflicts of interest related to this submission.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

This submission has not been published anywhere previously, and is not simultaneously being considered for any other publication.

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Sevgi, D., Davoudi, S., Comander, J. et al. Retinal pigmentary changes in chronic uveitis mimicking retinitis pigmentosa. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 255, 1801–1810 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-017-3689-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-017-3689-7

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