Successful Treatment of Conjunctival Sarcoidosis with Local Cryotherapy.

Abstract

Conjunctival sarcoidosis was successfully treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy using a 1.5-mm cryoprobe applied in a double freeze-thaw method. After an incisional biopsy of a portion of the conjunctiva, cryotherapy was applied using freeze times of 1 to 2 seconds, with thawing of 5 to 10 seconds between freezes. A 55-year-old woman with skin biopsy-proven sarcoidosis presented complaining of bilateral ocular foreign body sensation and erythema. On examination, she was found to have multiple conjunctival nodules. Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen was applied to these nodules. A conjunctival biopsy of one of the nodules was also taken. The biopsy results confirmed the diagnosis of conjunctival sarcoid. The conjunctiva has remained free of any recurrent nodules. Cryotherapy appears to be a safe and effective alternative in the treatment of conjunctival sarcoidosis.