Clinical aspects of posterior uveitis in ocular sarcoidosis

Two clinical forms of the "white spot" syndrome in patients with posterior uveitis in definitive and presumable ocular sarcoidosis were analyzed. Group 1 was characterized by periphlebitis and discrete white spots around the vein of the retina, so-called "candle-wax", whereas group 2 showed yellow-orange solitary nodules located at the choroid, i.e. multifocal choroiditis. Visual acuity and the severity of clinical presentation were assessed in both groups. Visual acuity, Snellen equivalent was 0.52 +/- 0.36 in group 1 and 0.82 +/- 0.39 in group 2 with lesions at the level of choroid. One-way analysis of variance ANOVA showed a statistically significant between-group difference in visual acuity (p = 0.03). The mean severity of clinical presentation was 11.80 +/- 2.04 points in group 1 and 5.80 +/- 4.18 points in group 2. T-test for independent samples yielded a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.02). A statistically significant difference in visual acuity was the result of vasculitis in the group with the "candle-wax" phenomenon, which is associated with retinal vasculitis and causes cystoid macular edema and reduction of visual acuity. Complications such as cataract, glaucoma and neovascularization, which also decrease visual acuity, were more frequent in group 1.