title: Polymerase chain reaction in unilateral cases of presumed viral anterior uveitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anterior uveitis is the most common form of intraocular inflammation. The main aim of this study was to determine the viral etiology in patients with unilateral cases of anterior uveitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 12 consecutive patients with the diagnosis of idiopathic unilateral anterior uveitis were included prospectively. Aqueous specimens were obtained from each patient by anterior chamber paracentesis and subjected to the detection of viral DNA/RNA genome by polymerase chain reaction assay for herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and rubella virus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were six male and six female patients. The mean age was 43 years, with an age range of 11-82 years. All 12 cases presented with unilateral anterior uveitis. In four (33%) patients, polymerase chain reaction was positive for viral genome. Two patients were positive for herpes simplex virus type 1, one patient was positive for cytomegalovirus and one for Epstein-Barr virus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent molecular diagnostic assays would help in the identification of the causative agent in patients with unilateral anterior uveitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Eye Center and The Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Samir S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shoughy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Uveitis Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ; Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hind M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Alkatan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Uveitis Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulelah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Abdullah
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Uveitis Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Albarah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Khani
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jolanda Df
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: de Groot-Mijnes
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Eye Center and The Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ; Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ; The Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Khalid F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Tabbara
keywords: PCR; anterior chamber paracentesis; cytomegalovirus; diffuse keratic precipitates; herpes simplex virus; viral anterior uveitis