[Sympathetic ophthalmia, case report]

We present the case of a 61 years old male, who developed symphathetic ophthalmia, following a penetrating injury in one eye. After the injury had been sutured, the traumatized eye was red and painful. Considering the risk of sympathetic ophthalmia, the doctor decided the enucleation of the injured eye, but the patient refused and he had not come back to the recommended follow-ups. He returned to the hospital seven months later with decreased visual acuity in both eyes, caused by bilateral uveitis. The diagnosis was sympathetic ophthalmia. He improved and recovered an acceptable visual acuity after enucleation of the injured eye and the administration of both topical and systemic steroids. But the premature stopping of the maintenance therapy with low-dose systemic steroids, results in a relapse--a worse uveitis.