Diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of multiple choroidal granulomas in a patient with confirmed sarcoidosis using...

Sarcoidosis is a major cause of granulomatous uveitis but rarely manifests as multiple choroidal granulomas. This report describes the use of enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) to visualize changes occurring in multiple choroidal granulomas during treatment.

The patient was a 36-year-old Japanese man with histopathologically confirmed sarcoidosis, who was examined using EDI-OCT and showed multiple yellowish-white subretinal lesions in the peripapillary region and the arcade of the right eye.

EDI-OCT revealed homogeneous hyporeflective choroidal lesions with choriocapillaris thinning, consistent with a diagnosis of choroidal granulomas. Subretinal fluid adjacent to one of the peripapillary choroidal lesions was also apparent. EDI-OCT during oral prednisolone administration revealed a decrease in lesion size at as early as 3 weeks and complete resolution of the lesions after 6 months of treatment. However, 2 months after prednisolone discontinuation, EDI-OCT revealed recurrence of choroidal granulomas in the peripapillary region and the arcade of the right eye. After injection of triamcinolone acetonide into the posterior sub-Tenon's capsule (sub-Tenon's injection), EDI-OCT demonstrated a reduction in granuloma lesion size within 3 months of the injection.

EDI-OCT allowed detailed morphologic visualization of the choroidal granulomas caused by sarcoidosis. This imaging technique was useful for monitoring changes in granuloma size in response to steroid administration and for early detection of recurrence. Injection of triamcinolone acetonide into the posterior sub-Tenon's capsule was as effective as oral prednisolone for the treatment of choroidal granulomas.