title: Systemic tuberculosis presenting with acute transient myopia: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transient myopia has been reported to occur in a number of conditions, either ocular in origin or associated with an underlying systemic cause. We present a rare case of this abnormality occurring in the setting of systemic tuberculosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 29-year-old Indian woman presented with sudden onset blurred distance vision and fever. Examination revealed visual acuity of counting fingers in both eyes improving to 6/9 with pinhole with N5 reading acuity. Anterior segment examination revealed narrow angles on gonioscopy. Posterior segments were normal. Systemic examination revealed a fluctuant mass in her left loin, aspiration of which yielded pus which was culture-positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Mantoux test elicited a strongly positive reaction. Chest X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain were unremarkable. Computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and abdomen revealed a large psoas abscess communicating with the loin mass. Two vertebrae were involved but not the spinal cord or canal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transient myopia is a rare presenting feature of systemic tuberculosis. A postulated mechanism in this patient is that development of a uveal effusion related to systemic tuberculosis caused anterior rotation of the iris-lens diaphragm, thereby inducing narrowing of the angle and acute myopia.
authors.affiliation: Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK. Sher.Aslam@moorfields.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Sher A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Aslam
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashani
authors.forename: Roland K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Morley