Dados do Trabalho

Title

CHRONIC UVEITIS ASSOCIATED WITH PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

Background

Tuberculosis continues to be a major health problem worldwide, with Brazil being one of the 22 WHO-prioritized countries that concentrate 80% of the world tuberculosis burden and can affect several organs, with ocular involvement low, with reports that 1 to 3% of cases of uveitis associated with the tuberculosis bacillus. The objective of this study is to highlight the importance of tuberculosis investigation in patientes with inflamatory ocular alterations, especially in cases of chronic uveitis.

Case report

Female patient, 63 years old, nurse, resident in Alfenas MG, with chronic anterior uveitis refractory to immunosuppressive treatment, after long etiological investigation was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis through biopsy in nodular bronchoscopy in right lung apex seen on chest tomography, which evidenced the presence of Koch's bacillus in the pathological anatomy. Although not prevalent, ocular tuberculosis has high morbidity and may evolve with permanent Visual impairment in was cases. Initial ocular complaints and clinical findings are non-specific for the diagnosis, and there is a need to perform complementary exams that are not always sufficient to define it. The most common form, as already mentioned, of ocular involvement is the previous one. The disease may be present even without active systemic disease. The diagnosis can be confirmed if there are laboratory and/or histological Martins by the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Conclusion

Ocular tuberculosis is a chronic pleomorphic disease with a high index of visual acuity reduction. Therefore, early treatment increases the chance of maintenance or improvement of this view, it is imperative that the research of this etiology be performed in all patients with chronic uveitis with an indeterminate cause.

Área

Spondyloarthritis