[Ocular findings in infection-linked immune phenomena and secondary diseases (the so-called Reiter's syndrome)]

Between 1981 and 1987 the authors saw 12 patients with Reiter's syndrome. Lesions included 6 cases of bilateral conjunctivitis in patients with chlamydial infection, 3 of unilateral serofibrinous iridocyclitis in patients with Yersinia enterocolitica, 1 case of bilateral iridocyclitis in a patient with positive chlamydial complement-binding reaction, 1 case of bilateral follicular conjunctivitis following acute gonococcal urethritis, and one case of unilateral serofibrinous iridocyclitis, in a patient with Ureaplasma urealyticum. Immunohistologic work-up of the conjunctival biopsy from the patient with Urea-plasma urealyticum urethritis revealed IgM deposits in the vascular endothelium of conjunctival vessels, C-3 deposits in the conjunctival stroma, and intercellular IgG in the conjunctival epithelium. Since Reiter's syndrome is interpreted as a sequela of secondary immune diseases following a primary infection that may persist in HLA-B27-positive patients, the patients were treated with both topical and systemic anti-infectious and anti-inflammatory agents.