title: Epidemic of unilateral panuveitis in children from Brazilian Amazonia: clinical and etiological aspects in seven patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe clinical presentation and results of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in seven children from an epidemic of panuveitis in the Brazilian Amazonia, as well as environmental analysis and etiological aspects involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent full pediatric and ophthalmic examinations, B-scan, ultrasound biomicroscopy, and serological tests. Ocular samples were thoroughly analyzed, including two enucleation specimens. Environmental investigation encompassed water, soil, and river fauna.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients had bathed in the waters of a regional river, the Araguaia. Six of them presented with intermediate uveitis, with snowbanking. Five had cataract and four showed inferior endothelial opacity, with localized anterior synechiae. One showed total leukoma, with flat anterior chamber. Only two had active uveitis, one of them with anterior chamber nodule. Serology revealed high prevalence of anti-Toxocara canis immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. In three cases, vitreous and lens samples disclosed spicules of freshwater sponges Drulia uruguayensis and D. ctenosclera, also detected in the waters of the river.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Freshwater sponge spicules could be potential new etiological agents of ocular pathology, but further studies are needed, considering the heterogeneity of the ocular lesions and results of serological and environmental studies.
authors.affiliation: Hospital São Geraldo/HC - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Rua Espírito Santo, 1634/102, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30.160-031, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Vítor
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos-Santos
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oréfice
authors.forename: Carlos Franklin
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Leandro Moulin
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Alencar
authors.forename: Priscilla Jane Ayres
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Henrique Leonel
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Lenzi
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pelajo-Machado
authors.forename: Cecília
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Volkmer-Ribeiro
authors.forename: Twiggy Cristina Alves
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: Pedro Paulo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Chieffi
authors.forename: Susana Zevallos
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Lescano
authors.forename: Roberta Lima
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.forename: Omar Dos Santos
authors.initials: Odos S
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pavesio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D015864:Panuveitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011161:Porifera; D045483:Rivers / Q000469:parasitology; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000276:immunology; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth