title: The role of perivascular melanophage infiltrates in the conjunctiva in sympathetic ophthalmia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report pathologic changes in the conjunctiva from the exciting eye in a case of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Report of clinical findings and conjunctival histopathology in a patient with SO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 50-year-old male developed SO, with unusual peribulbar conjunctival pigmentation in the inciting eye. Histological examination of the conjunctival biopsy revealed perivascular distribution of CD68(+) melanophages that also expressed HLA-DR, suggesting that these macrophages may act as antigen-presenting cells. In addition, increased CD4(+) and CD3(+) lymphocytes were noted in the subconjunctival space when compared to specimens of normal conjunctiva and traumatic uveal prolapse without SO, suggesting T-cell recruitment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These pathologic findings suggest a possible mechanism by which local antigen processing by subconjunctival melanophages may play a role in the initiation of the complex cell-mediated response seen in SO.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Summa Health System, Akron, Ohio, USA.
authors: A Jayaprakash
authors: AJ
authors: Patil
authors: Deepak P
authors: DP
authors: Edward
authors: Margaret
authors: M
authors: Wong
authors: Pars
authors: P
authors: Ravichandran
authors: Debra A
authors: DA
authors: Goldstein