Objective: To describe the clinical spectrum and outcome of patients with presumed tubercular uveitis and choroidal involvement.
Methods: A retrospective case series nested in a cohort study was enrolled at a tertiary referral eye care center in the UK. Failure was defined as recurrence of lesion within 6 months of completion of antitubercular therapy (ATT) or corticosteroid therapy.
Results: Seventy-seven patients with presumed ocular tuberculosis and choroidal involvement were included in the study. Mean age was 45.5 ± 15.7 years, 44 (57.1%) patients were male, and 51 (66.2%) presented with bilateral disease. Choroidal granuloma was the most frequent clinical presentation (n = 27, 35.07%), followed by multifocal choroiditis (n = 24, 31.17%) and serpiginous-like choroiditis (n = 18, 23.38%). Quantiferon Gold in Tube Test (QFT) was positive in 64 (83.11%) patients. Fifty (64.94%) patients received ATT.
Conclusions: Choroidal involvement in presumed ocular tuberculosis can present with a variable spectrum. Treatment failure rates were equivalent between ATT and non-ATT treated groups.
Keywords: Antitubercular therapy (ATT); QuantiFERON GOLD in tube (QFT); choroidal granuloma; duration of ATT; presumed ocular tuberculosis; serpiginous-like choroiditis.