The contribution of aqueous humor cytology in the differential diagnosis of anterior uvea inflammations.

Background: Cytology of the aqueous humor can confirm the diagnosis of many intraocular conditions by revealing inflammatory cells, ghost red cells, lens material, and microorganisms.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to emphasize the contribution of aqueous humor fine needle aspiration cytology in cases where there is a clinical diagnostic dilemma whether an infectious or a noninfectious inflammatory process of the uvea is present.

Methods: Collection of 0.15-0.2 ml aqueous humor was carried out with an insulin needle. The aspirated aqueous was then prepared for examination using either the Cytospin or the Thin-Prep technique and smears were stained with modified Papanikolaou and May-Grünwald-Giemsa stains.

Results: Cytology of the aqueous humor essentially facilitated the differential diagnosis in 16 cases with an anterior uveal inflammation clinical picture. The cases included phacoanaphylactic endophthalmitis (n = 6), chronic postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis (n = 3), phacolytic glaucoma (n = 2), ghost cell glaucoma (n = 2), metastatic endophthalmitis (n = 1), post-traumatic lenticular abscess (n = 1), and iridocyclitis (n = 1). Treatment of the cases was successful.

Conclusions: In selected cases, cytology of the aqueous humor reveals specific, with regard to the clinical entity, cell populations and other elements and thus contributes effectively to the differential diagnosis and therapeutic approach to some anterior uvea inflammations.