Diagnosis of Cytomegalovirus Anterior Uveitis in Two European Referral Centers

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate diagnostic methods and clinical signs of CMV anterior uveitis (AU), a rarely described entity in Europe.

Methods: We included patients with clinical characteristics of CMV AU and positive PCR and/or Goldmann-Witmer coefficient (GWc) for CMV.

Results: We report 21 patients with unilateral uveitis (100%) and signs of Posner-Schlossman syndrome (PSS) (n = 20, 95.2%), Fuchs uveitis syndrome (FUS) (n = 1, 4.7%), and endotheliitis (n = 4, 19,04%). PCR was positive in 15/21 (71.4%) and GWc in 8/9 patients (88.9%) in aqueous for CMV. GWc was the only positive test in 6/9 patients (66,6%). When PCR alone was performed (without GWc) in the first tap, repeated aqueous taps were needed, twice in five cases and thrice in one case.

Conclusion: Combining PCR and GWc were very helpful to confirm the clinical diagnosis of CMV AU. In case of very high clinical suspicion and negative results, repeated tap seems to be recommended.

Keywords: Anterior uveitis; Goldmann-Witmer coefficient; PCR; cytomegalovirus; endotheliitis; glaucoma; hypertony; viral uveitis.