title: Relationship between suspected reasons of intraocular inflammation and the results of diagnostic vitrectomy: an observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intraocular inflammation of the posterior segment may be associated with neoplastic, infectious, and inflammatory diseases. Biopsy of vitreous and additional ocular tissue might be required for a definitive diagnosis. We therefore aimed to investigate the safety and usefulness of diagnostic vitrectomy in intraocular inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed an observational retrospective study of patients who underwent vitreous biopsy due to atypical intraocular inflammation, experienced failed resolution to empirical therapy, or for whom there was suspicion of an underlying neoplastic process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy consecutive patients were included due to idiopathic uveitis of the posterior segment unresponsive to systemic corticosteroids (n = 33, 47%), suspected vitreoretinal or choroidal lymphoma (n = 18, 26%), viral retinitis (n = 17, 24%), and suspected endogenous endophthalmitis (n = 2, 3%). Suspected viral retinitis was most often confirmed (13/17, 76%), followed by lymphoma (6/18, 33%). Remarkably, a proportion of suspected idiopathic uveitis was infectious (7/33, 21%). The most prevalent adverse event following diagnostic vitrectomy was cataract surgery in phakic patients (n = 16/41, 39% of phakic patients). Retinal detachments were observed chiefly in infectious or neoplastic disease (n = 5, 7%) after a median time of 105 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnostic vitrectomy was helpful in substantiating the clinical suspected diagnosis of posterior segment inflammation. Potential secondary adverse events should be kept in mind.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, Eberhard-Karls University , Tuebingen , Germany .
authors.forename: Veronique B D
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Kitiratschky
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deuter
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Berit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blumenstock
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szurman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diagnostic vitrectomy; intraocular inflammation; viral retinitis; vitreoretinal lymphoma