Spectrum of Ocular Tuberculosis in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Peshawar

Doi: 10.36351/pjo.v40i4.1805

Abstract

Purpose:  To describe the spectrum of ocular tuberculosis (TB), highlight the difficulty in diagnosis and treatment of such cases encountered in a tertiary care hospital of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Study Design:  Descriptive Case series.

Place and Duration of Study: Khyber teaching hospital MTI Peshawar from Jan 2021 till July 2022.

Methods:  Eleven cases with Ocular tuberculosis are described. At presentation, complete history was taken and detailed examination was done including fundus examination and OCT macula. For diagnosis, a combination of Tuberculin skin test (TST) and Quantiferon-Gold was performed. On the basis of results of both tests Anti-TB treatment (ATT) was started and continued for an average of 9 months.

Results:  This study highlights the diverse ocular manifestations of TB in patients, even without a known history of systemic disease. Among 11 patients, 3 presented with panuveitis, 6 with posterior uveitis, and 2 with serpiginous-like choroidopathy with uveitis. Notably, only 2 had a known history of systemic TB. The patients were treated primarily with Anti-Tuberculosis Therapy (ATT) along with steroids or other adjunct therapies. Most cases showed improved vision and stable disease post-treatment, with visual acuity ranging from 6/24 to 6/6. However, two patients were lost to follow-up, leaving their outcomes unknown.

Conclusion:  In this case series, we explore different cases of Ocular Tuberculosis (OTB) seen at a busy hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan. There are variety of symptoms with which the patients present. The combined use of TST and Quantiferon-Gold proved an effective and affordable approach for diagnosis and timely initiation of ATT in ocular TB.