title: Pars plana vitrectomy in patients with intermediate uveitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the effect of pars plana vitrectomy in patients with intermediate uveitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of the clinical course and visual outcome following pars plana vitrectomy in patients with intermediate uveitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two patients (43 eyes) were included in the study. Pars plana vitrectomy was combined with cataract surgery in 22 of 43 eyes. The intermediate uveitis was associated with sarcoidosis in 16 eyes and multiple sclerosis in five eyes, and was idiopathic in 22 eyes. The mean (+/-SD) follow-up was 45.6 (+/-38) months (range: 6-146 months). In 19 of 43 eyes (44.1%), there was improvement in the course of uveitis, allowing the discontinuation of immunosuppressive treatment in seven patients. Cystoid macular edema resolved in 12 of 37 eyes (32.4%). Forty of 43 eyes achieved a better or retained their initial visual acuity. The remaining three eyes deteriorated by two or more lines in the Snellen chart due to the progression of cataract, chronic cystoid macular edema, and glaucomatous optic atrophy, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that pars plana vitrectomy may have a beneficial effect on the course of uveitis and the associated complications of cystoid macular edema, thereby reducing the need for long-term immunosuppression. Pars plana vitrectomy combined with simultaneous cataract surgery can improve the visual outcome in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stavrou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baltatzis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Letko
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Christen
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015867:Uveitis, Intermediate / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000473:pathology