[Intraocular pseudotumor in an AIDS patient. Block excision, differential diagnosis, histology]

Intraocular pseudotumors are a rare event in Aids patients and often pose diagnostic problems.

A 37-year-old patient who had had HIV seroconversion for 7 years was seen to developed progressively growing, multiple, disseminated, subretinal lesions OD > OS, accompanied by exudative retinal detachment and iritis. Since all etiological laboratory diagnostic efforts to detect an infectious, noninfectious and neoplastic systemic lesion failed, a diagnostic and curative therapeutic chorioretinal excisional biopsy specimen of the largest of the tumors (3 x 3 x 2 mm) was taken. The histological work-up demonstrated granulation tissue similar to an intraocular pseudotumor without signs of infection, malignancy or reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. This finding resulted in systemic corticosteroid treatment with complete resolution of the lesions in both eyes and no recurrences.

An invasive diagnostic procedure in patients suffering from lesions of unknown cause resulting in the institution of an appropriate medical treatment may be beneficial for the integrity and vision of the respective eye.