Outcome results of antituberculous treatment in latent or manifest tuberculosis patients featuring granulomatous uveitis

Ocular tuberculosis is a rare disease.The most common form of ocular tuberculosis is granulomatous uveitis. It is often a result of haematogenous spread or hypersensitivity reaction to the mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen from distant foci in the absence of any infectious agent in the eye. We describe an antituberculous treatment for patients with granulomatous uveitis non-responsive to other treatments in this prospective study. In this clinical trial, 50 patients (32 women, 18 men) with granulomatous uveitis (2 granulomatous uveitis and coroiditis, 2 intermediate uveitis, 1 anterior scleritis and granulomatous uveitis, 1 multifocal uveitis, 1 multifocal uveitis and bilateral panuveitis, 43 granulomatous uveitis) were studied. Mean age of the patients was 45.34±13.71. Patients (7.1%) had been previously treated due to pulmonary tuberculosis. 9 (21.4%) of the patients had a history of tuberculosis contact. Tuberculine skin test (TST) was positive in 45 patients (96%) and Quantiferon – GOLD test was positive in 43 patients (89%). 41 (82%) patients with latent tuberculosis who were non-responsive to all treatments were considered as tuberculosis and treated with antituberculous agents. 19 patients (46%) responded well to anti tuberculous treatment. 15 patients (37%) were non-responsive to the treatment and in follow-up granulamatous uveitis recurred. 5 patients were out of follow-up. This study indicates that antituberculous treatment is an option which must be considered for patients with latent tuberculous who were determined to be granulomatous uveitis and also who were non-responsive to other treatments.