Sympathetic ophthalmia

Medical review (Med. pregled), 2023, 59(1), 11-14.

N. Andonova, G. Markov, Y. Zdravkov, A. Oscar

Clinic of Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Aleksandrovska, Medical University – Sofia

Abstract. Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a chronic bilateral granulomatous panuveitis. It may develop following penetrating ocular trauma or intraocular surgery. The exact etiology is still unclarified. The contemporary literature data implicate a T-cell-mediated immune response towards ocular autoantigens. SO occurs more commonly in men due to greater propensity for traumatism. The incidence is about 0.01% after pars plana vitrectomy and 0.06% to 0.2-0.5% following penetrating ocular trauma. The most common symptoms are decreased vision, impaired accommodation, photophobia, epiphora, and pain. The diagnosis of SO is mainly clinical. The therapy includes corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive agents. The early enucleation of the traumatized eye has been a controversial subject. Despite treatment, the prognosis is uncertain.

Key words: sympathetic ophthalmia, ocular trauma, intraocular surgery, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents

Address for correspondence: Georgi Markov, MD, e-mail: dr.georgimarkov@gmail.com