Tuberculosis (TB) affects only the lungs in approximately 80% of patients, involving other organs in the remaining 20%. One extrapulmonary manifestation is ocular TB (OTB), usually characterized by involvement of the uveal tract, which consists of the iris and ciliary body anteriorly and the choroid posteriorly. Description of clinical and epidemiological aspects of OTB cases treated at HC-FMUSP between 2010 and 2022. One hundred patients were included for having undergone at least six months of antimicrobial treatment for suspected OTB. Of these, 71 (71%) were considered confirmed OTB cases due to sustained response to treatment. Among confirmed cases, most were female (58%), median age was 48 years, and a high frequency of smoking was observed (25%). Among confirmed OTB cases, the most common isolated symptom was reduced visual acuity (77%), and 62% presented uveitis, with posterior uveal involvement being most frequent (52%). Three (4%) patients with confirmed OTB also had confirmed TB at extraocular sites and extraocular symptoms. Five patients with exclusively ocular involvement also had extraocular symptoms. Smoking and autoimmune diseases were associated with lack of response to antimicrobial treatment among suspected OTB cases. Identification of epidemiological and clinical patterns of OTB may guide more effective health policies in regions with higher TB endemicity, aiming at early detection and appropriate treatment of this condition.
Pio et al. (Sun,) studied this question.