Long-term outcome of HTLV-I associated uveitis

Abstract

O-35 Purpose: To elucidate long-term outcome of HTLV-I associated uveitis (HAU). Patients and Methods: We have long followed up (mean, 83 months; range, 12-253) a consecutive series of 70 ocular patients (44 men, 26 women) consisting of 46 cases with isolated HAU, 10 with HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM), and 14 with hyperthyroidism. Results: The mean age of onset was 42.8 years (range, 7-71). A single episode of mild to moderate acute uveal inflammation lasting a few weeks occurred in 43 (61.4%) cases, and multiple episodes in 27 (38.6%) with a mean interval of 16 months (range, 1 - 250 months) that affected the same eye, fellow eye, or both. Two cases developed HAM many years following onset of HAU, and 14 cases presented with ocular disease in close association with thiamazole therapy for endocrinological dysfunction. The majority of patients showed favorable visual outcome at the last examination, and only a few had suffered poor visual results due to retinochoroidal degeneration or steroid therapy-related cataract. Conclusions: HAU is usually isolated and affects a portion of otherwise unremarkable HTLV-I-infected individuals, but it may occur as part of HTLV-I associated syndromes. Although multiple episodic inflammations are fairly common, the clinical course of HAU is usually benign and its long-term outcome is favorable.