SYMPATHETIC OPHTHALMIA

Course overview

SYMPATHETIC OPHTHALMIA IS A RARE, DEVASTATING DISEASE DEFINED AS BILATERAL UVEITIS FOLLOWING AN EYE INJURY. IT MAY RESULT IN PERMANENT BILATERAL VISION LOSS IN AN OTHERWISE HEALTHY PATIENT WITH NO OCULAR MORBIDITIES. INITIAL SYMPTOMS AND THE TIMELINE FOR THE ONSET OF SYMPTOMS AFTER AN INJURY ARE HIGHLY VARIABLE. THEREFORE SYMPATHETIC OPHTHALMIA MUST BE CONSIDERED ON THE DIFFERENTIAL FOR ANY PRESENTATION OF BILATERAL UVEITIS. ADDITIONALLY, MANAGING THIS DISEASE MAY BE HIGHLY CHALLENGING, REQUIRING PATIENTS TO BE ON SEVERAL IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SYMPATHETIC OPHTHALMIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE TEAM IN CORRECTLY IDENTIFYING AND MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.