INDOCYANINE GREEN ANGIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN SYMPATHETIC OPHTHALMIA

Purpose: To analyze indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) features in t wo cases of sympathetic ophthalmia using a standard angiography protoc ol for posterior uveitis. Methods: Report on two patients who suffered from penetrating ocular injuries 45 and 8 years before sympathetic op hthalmia was diagnosed and confirmed by histopathological examination of the enucleated eye. In addition to routine examination and fluoresc ein angiography, initial and follow-up ICGAs were performed. Results: The first patient, with a phthisic right eye following s shotgun injur y, consulted 6 months after cataract extraction in his good left eye f or progressive visual loss due to a neovascular membrane in a moderate ly inflamed eye. The second patient consulted 8 years after a perforat ing injury of his right eye by a metallic foreign body because of rece nt visual loss and inflammation in his good left eye. ICGA of both pat ients showed numerous hypofluorescent dark dots visible at the interme diate phase, some becoming iso-fluorescent at the late phase and resol ving after long-term corticosteroid therapy, others remaining hypofluo rescent until the late phase. Conclusion: The two patterns of hypofluo rescent areas, either persisting throughout angiography or fading in t he late phase, were interpreted respectively as cicatricial and active lesions. ICGA gave determining additional information on choroidal in volvement and on subsequent evolution of lesions.