PURPOSE To identify the frequency and causes of uveitis leading to visual impairment in patients referred to the Low Vision Service - Department of Ophthalmology - UNIFESP, over a twenty years period. METHODS In a retrospective study, medical records of 5,461 patients were reviewed. Data from the first clinical evaluation at the Low Vision Service were collected, patient's age, gender and cau...

PURPOSE It has been proposed that cytokine gene polymorphisms can predispose individuals to disease by enhancing inflammatory processes. Considering the relevance of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the pathogenesis of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis (TR), we investigated whether IL1A -889 C/T and IL1B +3954C/T promoter polymorphisms are associated with TR in humans. METHODS We performed a cross-section...

Intraocular Candida infections, although uncommon, represent an important clinical problem owing to the potential for visual loss, which can be bilateral. Candida chorioretinitis and endophthalmitis are complications of systemic candidiasis with extension of the fungal pathogens to the uvea and retina. Early diagnosis and prompt management significantly affect the visual prognosis for these pat...

Ocular cryptococcosis was produced in cats by the intracarotid injection of Cryptococcus neoformans. Infected eyes developed a progressive, multifocal chorioretinitis which was comparable to that found in the naturally occurring feline disease. The severity of the ocular disease, the development of infection in the fellow eye, and the degree of systemic involvement were shown to be related to t...

There appears to be a re-emergence of syphilis in recent times despite a steady decline in incidence for the past decade. Diagnosis of syphilis can be clinically challenging and ocular manifestations of syphilis have a myriad of presentations and severity. Ocular syphilis can occur at any stage of the disease and may also be the only presenting sign of syphilis. We report a case of acute unilat...

Real-time PCR (qPCR) was positive in 72/150 (48%) blood samples of newborns with congenital toxoplasmosis. Among infants with active retinochoroiditis, 68% had positive qPCR results, while positivity was 29% (P=0.009) in the absence of ocular involvement. Positive qPCR was associated with the presence of retinochoroidal lesions, with an odds ratio of 2.8.

Toxoplasma gondii infection is an important cause of chorioretinitis in the United States and Europe. Most cases of Toxoplasma chorioretinitis result from congenital infection. Patients are often asymptomatic during life, with a peak incidence of symptomatic illness in the second and third decades of life. Diagnosis is mainly supported by ophthalmological examination and a good response to inst...

We report an atypical presentation of Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis with associated scleritis in a young and immunocompetent patient. The diagnosis was done on the basis of Polymerase chain reaction of vitreous sample, and the clinical response to specific treatment. This case highlights the unusual presentation of ocular toxoplasmosis as scleritis.