Uveitis in association with multiple sclerosis.

Abstract

In view of these conflicting reports, and the persistent similarities between the latest theories concerning the aetiologies of both uveitis and multiple sclerosis, it was considered worthwhile to carry out a new ocular survey of patients with multiple sclerosis. MethodA total of sixty patients was examined, 25 male and 35 female, varying in age from i8 to 65 years with an average age of 40 years. They had all had the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis confirmed by a neurologist.The anterior segment and anterior vitreous were examined by slit-lamp microscopy and the posterior segment of all eyes was examined, after pupillary dilatation, by direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy. ResultsIn the sixty patients examined, nine (I 5 per cent.) had signs of a uveitis, and seven of these (I I .7 per cent.) had sheathing of the retinal veins (Table). Only four patients complained of an inflamed eye and in only one (Case 40) was it the presenting symptom. Fifteen (25 per cent.) of the patients had had a retrobulbar neuritis as the presenting symptom and these included four of the patients with uveitis. Two of the patients had signs worthy of note in the posterior segment, but were not included in the I5 per cent. One patient had a fibrous plaque overlying a retinal vein similar to that described by Rucker in his original report (Rucker, I944) but without other ocular involvement, and the other

Multiple sclerosis-associated uveitis

“…Many previous investigators also noted that the inflammatory ocular findings are bilateral in most 4,6,7,13 or all 3,4,9,12,14,21 patients with MS-associated uveitis. This fact should be kept in mind when patients with unexplained bilateral uveitis are evaluated.…”

“…1 In the years that followed Rucker's first report, numerous additional studies detailed the relationship between MS and inflammatory phenomena in the eye. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] For example, Archambeau et al 3 reported the presence of inflammatory vitreous cells in 10 patients with MS; uveitis preceded the diagnosis of MS in three of these patients. Retinal vein exudation in MS patients was also associated with peripheral retinal ischemia and retinal neovascularization.…”

“…The association between granulomatous uveitis and MS has also been noted by others. 2,6,10,12,13,21 Yet clearly, MS-associated uveitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of both granulomatous and nongranulomatous uveitis.…”

Pattern of Uveitis in an Egyptian Population with Multiple Sclerosis: A Hospital-Based Study

“…Different types of uveitis are associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10], with varied reported incidence and/or prevalence [11,12,13,14]. Moreover, uveitis was found to share common genetic susceptibility loci with different autoimmune diseases including MS [15,16].…”

Cataracts and Allergic Encephalomyelitis

“…Fog and Bardram [7] observed anterior i veitis complicat ing EAE in swine and Bullington and Waksman [8] described uveitis in rabbits injected with several types of CNS antigens. Thero are also reports on uveitis associated with MS [9]. Vasculo-occlusive retinopathies were induced in rhesus monkeys by sensitization with spinal cord in CFA [10],…”