Cistoid macular edema as first manifestation of sarcoidosis

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to report a case of cystoid macular edema (CME) as a rare first manifestation of ocular sarcoidosis after cataract surgery. A 60-year-old male developed a CME following uneventful phacoemulsification cataract extraction on his left eye. It resolved with conventional medical therapy. One year later the patient was diagnosed with bilateral CME. Oral corticosteroid therapy produced a significant regression. His medical and ocular histories were unremarkable and all tests for etiological diagnosis were negative. There were inflammation recurrences in his left eye, which were also treated with steroids. Optical coherence tomography showed complete resolution of foveal thickening without improvement in vision. Four years later, the patient presented with CME in both eyes. The laboratory tests included high angiotensin-converting enzyme levels and a gallium scan which were also consistent with sarcoidosis. Azathioprine was needed for management of ocular involvement, but it was withheld due to side-effects. At the present time, the CME is controlled with low-dose corticoids. Ocular involvement in sarcoidosis occurs in 20-50 % of patients. CME is not often the initial manifestation of the disease, but ocular sarcoidosis may present with a wide variety of ocular symptoms in all parts of the eye. Therefore, sarcoidosis should be kept in mind when evaluating a patient with ocular inflammation.