A clinical study on ocular tuberculosis in a tertiary care center

Abstract

Aim: This study is aimed to characterize the various clinical spectrum of ocular Tuberculosis. Methodology: It is a retrospective study of patients presented during January 2020 and January 2021 with tuberculosis and with a follow up period of one year. Results: A total of 676 patients have been included in the study. Pulmonary tuberculosis is 61% (413 patients) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis is 39% (263). Out of 263, 21 patients (8%) had ocular manifestations. The most common ocular presentation is posterior uveitis 43%, followed by panuveitis 24%, intermediate uveitis 19% and anterior uveitis 14%. 70% of the patients were commenced on a standard course of Anti tuberculosis treatment (ATT) as a primary treatment modality, of which two patients were started with ATT empirically given a high index of clinical suspicion, and 30% of the patients were treated with ATT and corticosteroids. Conclusion: Ocular tuberculosis though having a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and baffling diagnostic methods is still a treatable cause of uveitis. The patient approach should be holistic and integrated with a high index of suspicion in an endemic country like India.

Keywords

• att
• extrapulmonary tb
• intraocular tuberculosis
• pulmonary tb
• tuberculous uveitis