Sympathetic ophthalmia

When sympathetic ophthalmia ( eng.: Sympathic ophthalmia ) is probably an autoimmune disease that affects the eyes and after traumatic injury to the vessel skin of an eye, or after a ( more often: several times ) operation can occur on the eye involving the uvea. With the release of antigens by the violation of the uvea results in activation of autoimmune reactions, whereupon the injured eye chronically inflamed. The activation of this autoimmune response attacks then after a few weeks to many years, on the second, uninjured eye. Signs are blurred vision, pain and limited ability to close focus distance of the eye. Due to the inflammatory response, it can not only come to blindness of the eye initially affected, but also to that of the healthy eye. An association with certain leukocyte antigens ( HLA) needs further clarification. A Japanese study shows correlations with HLA -DRB1 * 04 and HLA- DQB1 * 04, which could be traced in a German study in part.

Treatment

The first affected eye should, if it is already blind, to be removed in time upon detection of a chronic inflammation, to prevent the spread to the other eye. If both eyes are already affected, only an intensive immunosuppressive therapy can help to preserve the eyesight.