Tuberculous panophthalmitis

Abstract

The case of a one-year-old Nigerian with tuberculous panophthalmitis is reported. He presented initially with a localised episceleral mass which was thought to be retinoblastoma due to rapid spread over the fundus induced by subconjunctival depromedrol. Histological examination of the enucleated eye showed that the lesion was due to tuberculosis. The subsequent favorable response of the ocular and radiological chest lesions to antituberculous therapy was quite remarkable. In contrast, there was an adverse response to radiotherapy which had followed enucleation on the strong suspicion of retinoblastoma. Not unnaturally, ocular tuberculosis was not thought of because of the rarity of ocular involvement with this disease. To our knowledge, this is the first case of its type reported from the African Continent.