SARCOID GRANULOMA OF THE CHOROID AND CILIARY BODY IN 50 CASES

To describe the clinical and imaging features of sarcoid granuloma of the choroid and ciliary body.

Retrospective case series of patients with choroid and/or ciliary body sarcoid granuloma managed at the Ocular Oncology Service at Wills Eye Hospital.

The mean patient age at diagnosis was 51.0 years (54.1, 11.0-83.8 years). The mean logMAR visual acuity at presentation was 0.3 (0.2, 0.0-3.0) [Snellen equivalent 20/40 (20/30, HM-20/20)]. Clinical features included mean basal dimension of 5.2 mm (4.0, 0.3-20.0 mm) and thickness of 1.7 mm (1.8, 0.0-3.6 mm), yellow color (41, 82%), multifocality (18, 36%), and irregular vermiform margins (46, 92%). Related clinical features included inflammation of the anterior chamber (1, 2%), vitreous (5, 10%), and retina (5, 10%). Imaging features by optical coherence tomography of the choroid lesions (n = 49) demonstrated clear subretinal fluid (6, 12%), "dirty" subretinal fluid (14, 28%), cystoid macular edema (1, 2%), overlying retinal edema (6, 12%), and localized vitreous cellularity (1, 2%). Management included sub-Tenon's triamcinolone (11, 22%), intravitreal triamcinolone (3, 6%), systemic corticosteroids (19, 38%), or observation (26, 52%). Systemic sarcoidosis was present before ocular diagnosis (13, 26%), detected during ophthalmic care (4, 8%), detected after ocular diagnosis (3, 6%), or not found (30, 60%) over a mean follow-up of 13.7 months (6.9, 0.0-138.2).

Sarcoid granuloma of the choroid and/or ciliary body can manifest without anterior segment or vitreous/retina inflammation in many cases and reveal underlying systemic sarcoidosis in 40% of cases. A distinguishing feature of choroidal sarcoid granuloma was its vermiform margin.