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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
10:33
Primed Mycobacterial Uveitis (PMU) as a Model for Post-Infectious Uveitis
Published on: December 17, 2021
Complications of presumed ocular tuberculosis
Issam H Hamade1, Khalid F Tabbara
1The Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Acta Ophthalmologica
|June 25, 2009
Summary
Early steroid use in presumed ocular tuberculosis patients without anti-tuberculous therapy can worsen vision. Corticosteroids before treatment may lead to poor visual outcomes and severe chorioretinal lesions in ocular tuberculosis.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
- Immunology
Background:
- Ocular tuberculosis is a significant cause of uveitis.
- Accurate diagnosis and timely treatment are crucial for visual preservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of corticosteroid administration timing on visual outcomes and ocular complications in patients with presumed ocular tuberculosis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 49 patients diagnosed with presumed ocular tuberculosis.
- Patients were categorized based on whether they received corticosteroids before or after anti-tuberculous therapy (ATT).
- Visual acuity and development of chorioretinal lesions were assessed at 1-year follow-up.
Main Results:
- Patients receiving corticosteroids before ATT had significantly poorer visual acuity at 1-year follow-up compared to those who did not (69% vs 30%, p = 0.007).
- Early corticosteroid use was associated with a higher incidence of severe chorioretinal lesions (70% vs 26%, p = 0.019).
Conclusions:
- Pre-treatment corticosteroid administration in presumed ocular tuberculosis may negatively impact visual prognosis.
- The increased severity of chorioretinitis lesions in patients receiving early steroids could explain the poorer visual outcomes.
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