Abstract
Purpose: To analyze the role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of ocular fluids in management of tubercular (TB) anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis. Methods: In Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study (COTS)-1 (25 centers, n = 962), patients with TB-related uveitis were included. 59 patients undergoing PCR of intraocular fluids (18 females; 53 Asian Indians) were included. Results: 59 (6.13%) of COTS-1 underwent PCR analysis. PCR was positive for Mycobacterium TB in 33 patients (23 males; all Asian Indians). 26 patients were PCR negative (18 males). Eight patients with negative PCR had systemic TB. Anti-TB therapy was given in 18 negative and 31 PCR cases. At 1-year follow-up, five patients with positive PCR (15.15%) and three with negative PCR (11.54%) had persistence/worsening of inflammation. Conclusions: Data from COTS-1 suggest that PCR is not commonly done for diagnosing intraocular TB and positive/negative results may not influence management or treatment outcomes in the real world scenario.
Keywords:
Anti-tubercular therapy; choroidal tuberculoma; choroiditis; polymerase chain reaction; tuberculosis.
MeSH terms
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Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use*
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Aqueous Humor / microbiology
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Child
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DNA, Bacterial / analysis
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Eye Infections, Bacterial / diagnosis*
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Eye Infections, Bacterial / drug therapy
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Eye Infections, Bacterial / microbiology
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Female
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Follow-Up Studies
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Humans
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics*
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
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Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
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Retrospective Studies
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Tuberculosis, Ocular / diagnosis*
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Tuberculosis, Ocular / drug therapy
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Tuberculosis, Ocular / microbiology
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Uveitis / diagnosis*
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Uveitis / drug therapy*
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Uveitis / microbiology
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Young Adult
Substances
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Antitubercular Agents
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DNA, Bacterial