Retinal vasculitis occurring with common variable immunodeficiency syndrome

PURPOSE: To report severe retinal vasculitis causing decreased vision in th ree patients with the common variable immunodeficiency syndrome. METHOD: Case report. Three patients with common variable immunodeficiency s yndrome developed decreased vision secondary to retinal vasculitis, Fluores cein angiography was performed in all three patients. Peribulbar injections were given in one patient, and two patients were treated with oral steroid s and cyclosporin. RESULTS: All three patients were young and had classic common variable immu nodeficiency syndrome. Bilateral retinal vasculitis and diffuse retinal ede ma were present in all three patients, and two patients had retinal neovasc ularization in the absence of ischemia. No evidence of intraocular infectio n was present, and none was detected systematically. Visual acuity decrease d in five of the six eyes and was responsive to treatment in only one patie nt (both eyes). CONCLUSION: Retinal vasculitis may be another autoimmune manifestation of c ommon variable immunodeficiency syndrome. (Am J Ophthalmol 2000;129:269-270 . (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.).