Pediatric Sympathetic Ophthalmia: 20 Years of Data From a Tertiary Eye Center in India.

Purpose: To examine the clinical profile of sympathetic ophthalmia among the pediatric age group.

Methods: Retrospective review of patients 18 years and younger with sympathetic ophthalmia seen in a tertiary eye care center between 1997 and 2017.

Results: Of 20 patients included in the study, 70% were male. The most common inciting event for sympathetic ophthalmia was trauma (85%), followed by vitreoretinal surgery (15%). All patients were treated with systemic steroids. Seventeen patients received additional corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppressive agents, and 4 patients (20%) required more than one immunosuppressive agent. Azathioprine was the most commonly used corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppressive agent. The most common complications were cataract (50%) and ocular hypertension (30%). The mean presenting best corrected visual acuity in the sympathizing eye was 1.15 ± 0.99 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), which improved to 0.54 ± 1.00 logMAR following treatment. Visual outcome was good (6/12 or better) in 70% of the sympathizing eyes, and 3 of the exciting eyes in the current study had good visual outcomes after the treatment.

Conclusions: Prompt and effective management with corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppressive therapy in children with sympathetic ophthalmia allows favorable control of the disease and retention of good visual acuity. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2020;57(3):154-158.].