Histocompatibility Leukocyte Antigen-A29-Associated Retinal Vasculitis without Choroidal Lesions: A Report of 4 Cases

Abstract

This study describes a cohort of patients presenting with histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A29-associated retinal vasculitis without choroidal lesions that may share clinical features with birdshot retinochoroiditis. The methods include a retrospective chart review of patients presenting with HLA-A29-associated retinal vasculitis without choroidal lesions. The data on the patients were entered retrospectively into a new database and analyzed. Four patients who had HLA-A29-associated retinal vasculitis without choroidal lesions were identified. The median age at presentation was 40 years (range: 14–71); 75% were female. At presentation, all four patients had a visual acuity of 20/50 or better in both eyes. All the eyes had mild vitritis, three eyes (37.5%) had cystoid macular edema, and two eyes (25%) had optic disc edema. All the patients required treatment with systemic steroids and immunosuppressive therapy. HLA-A29-associated retinal vasculitis without choroidal lesions appears to share many clinical features with birdshot chorioretinitis, including the need for systemic immunosuppressive therapy. Whether this entity represents an early form of birdshot retinochoroiditis or a more localized variant of the disease is a topic for additional studies.