Sympathetic ophthalmia. Histopathologic and fluorescein angiographic correlation

D. C. Sharp, R. A. Bell, E. Patterson and R. M. Pinkerton

Sympathetic ophthalmia was found 15 months after cataract extraction in a previously traumatized eye. Histopathologic examination disclosed numerous Dalen-Fuchs nodules with underlying choroidal granulomas causing obliteration of the choriocapillaris and disruption of Bruch's membrane. Prominent Dalen-Fuchs nodules were also observed clinically in the sympathizing eye, and the angiographic findings of initial hypofluorescence followed by late hyperfluorescence correlated with the pathologic findings in the sympathogenic eye. Only ten cases of sympathetic ophthalmia with fluorescein angiography have been reported previously. This is the fifth case accompanied by a histopathologic description of the exciting eye. The finding of breaks in Bruch's membrane has not been previously reported, to the best of our knowledge. This article compares the angiographic and pathologic appearances with those described in previous reports.