Comparing the results of vitrectomy and sclerectomy in a patient with nanophthalmic uveal effusion syndrome

Abstract

Nanophthalmic uveal effusion syndrome (UES) is an extremely rare idiopathic disease characterized by a short axial length of the eye, extremely thick sclera and choroid. These structural changes can lead to spontaneous serous detachment of the retina and peripheral choroid. There are many other causes of UES such as trauma, inflammation, cataract surgery, glaucoma, or retinal detachment. UES is classified into three types. All are characterized by a relapsing-remitting clinical course. The loss of visual acuity ranges from mild to very severe, depending on macular involvement. Changes of the retinal pigment epithelium develop secondary after long-standing choroidal effusion and retinal detachment. Subretinal exudates could be seen and mistakenly diagnosed as chorioretinitis. UES can be very difficult to treat. The most commonly used treatment is surgery involving the creation of surgical sclerostomies (scleral window surgery) or partial thickness sclerectomies to support transscleral drainage. In our case, we present a bilateral nanophthalmic UES, which was misdiagnosed as bilateral ocular Vogt−Koyanagi−Harada disease. We documented the course of the disease and the results of the different surgical approaches in both eyes. A pars plana vitrectomy was performed in the right eye and a sclerectomy with sclerostomies in the left eye. In the left eye, even long lasting loss of visual acuity due to a serous retinal detachment was partially reversed.