[Differential diagnosis of tuberculous and herpetic uveitis]

A total of 158 inpatients with ophthalmic tuberculosis or with this condition suspected were examined at the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology. Tuberculous etiology of iridocyclitis and chorioretinitis was confirmed in 39 patients, herpesvirus etiology was recognized in 35 patients. In the rest patients endogenous uveitis or dystrophic involvement of the eye of other origin were diagnosed. An algorithm of differential diagnosis tuberculous and herpetic uveitis of different localization has been developed, which is based on the clinical findings and results of tuberculin tests, allergic test with herpetic polyvaccine, relevant test therapies, and cytologic investigations of the conjunctival epithelium. The results confirm the differential diagnostic significance of this scheme and a high specificity of focal reactions in allergic tests after A. A. Kasparov in patients with herpesvirus uveitis.