ATYPICAL MYCOBACTERIAL PANOPHTHALMITIS SEEN WITH IRIS NODULES

A typical mycobacterial infections are frequent, late complications of human immunodeficiency virus infections and may have a variety of cli nical manifestations. We describe a patient with end-stage acquired im mune deficiency syndrome and disseminated atypical mycobacteriosis cau sed by Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex? with prominent iris nodules as the initial manifestation of a unilateral localized panoph thalmitis. Acid-fast bacilli were identified cytologically from the ir is nodule and aqueous aspirations. Topical, intracameral, and systemic treatments were used, but the infection progressed and enucleation wa s performed to avoid the impending scleral rupture. Histopathologic st udies revealed an anterior panophthalmitis, with inferior scleral rupt ure due to acid-fast bacilli in the eye. Mycobacterium avium-intracell ulare complex has been described as a cause of endophthalmitis in immu nocompromised patients but, to our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with iris nodules.