Longterm follow-up of patients with multifocal choroiditis and panuveitis.

PURPOSE: To report the visual prognosis and longterm complications in patients with multifocal choroiditis and panuveitis (MCP).

METHODS: A retrospective study was performed with patients who met inclusion criteria for MCP at the Uveitis Clinic, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Information collected included duration of follow-up, visual acuity (VA) measured at each clinical visit, ocular and systemic treatment and ocular complications observed during follow-up.

RESULTS: Nineteen patients (37 eyes) with MCP with a mean follow-up of 76.9 months were studied. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a decrease in the proportion of patients with a final VA > or = 20/40 over time. Cystoid macular oedema was seen in 29.7% of the eyes and was the most frequent macular abnormality observed in our group. On the other hand, choroidal neovascularization was detected in only six (16.2%) of the eyes, but was related to VA < 20/200 in four of these eyes. Glaucoma was detected in 10.8% of the eyes. Cataract (posterior subcapsular and/or nuclear) was the most common longterm complication, occurring in 40% of affected eyes. Cataract surgery improved the VA in 83.3% of these eyes.

CONCLUSION: The visual acuity of patients with MCP decreases with time. Visual loss can occur from complications following the inflammation itself and/or iatrogenic induced by the chronic use of corticosteroids.