Ophthalmological and Neurological Findings in Patients with Idiopathic Uveitis Associated with Retinal Vasculitis and the Relation with the HLA DR15 Allele

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose In 15 patients with idiopathic uveitis associated with retinal vasculitis, HLA DRB1 gene testing was performed to detect a possible association. 11 patients tested positive and 4 negative for the HLA DRB1 × 15 allele. The presence of the HLA DRB1 × 15 haplotype might be associated with a higher susceptibility to develop Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Methods In this case series, we describe the ophthalmological and neurological findings in 10 HLA DR15-positive patients and 4 HLA DR15-negative patients that had neurological workup, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain. Results All patients had granulomatous ocular inflammation with either panuveitis or intermediate uveitis. MRI of the brain showed white matter lesions in 13 patients (9/10 and 4/4 respectively) of which 4 patients were eventually diagnosed with MS (3/10 and 1/4 respectively). Conclusion Although the majority of tested patients was carrying at least one HLA DRB1–15 allele, there was no difference in ophthalmological and neurological findings in both groups.