HTLV-I associated uveitis revisited: characteristic grey-white, granular deposits on retinal vessels.
OBJECTIVE
To elucidate whether there exists any clinical sign characteristic of HTLV-I associated uveitis.


METHODS
Fifty five patients with HTLV-I associated uveitis were reviewed. These cases had serum antibodies to HTLV-I, and any other uveitis entities were carefully excluded by means of clinical and laboratory studies.


RESULTS
Eight cases (14.5%) developed vascular lesions in the retina, characterised by grey-white, granular deposits scattered on the retinal veins and/or arteries in the posterior pole. The vascular changes did not accompany any haemorrhage, sheathing, or leakage of fluorescent dye on angiograms, and the retina was otherwise unremarkable. A single or clustered form of similar materials was also found to deposit on the vitreo-retinal interface of the foveolar area. These deposits resolved in a few weeks spontaneously or in response to corticosteroids together with anterior uveal inflammation.


CONCLUSIONS
The vascular lesions described here suggest a characteristic sign for HTLV-I associated uveitis, and it may provide, if recognised, an additional clinical marker to establish diagnosis.
Nakao
K
K
Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University Faculty of Medicine, Japan.
Ohba
N
N
D000328:Adult; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D014792:Visual Acuity