Presumed sympathetic ophthalmia following scleral buckling surgery: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Purpose To report a case of presumed sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) following scleral buckling (SB) surgery and to discuss the possible pathogenesis of this condition by reviewing the current evidence on this subject. Methods Case report and narrative review of the literature; our case was imaged with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), fluorescein angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). Results A 55-year-old man presented with a macula on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment which was treated with 360° SB surgery, subretinal fluid drain (SRFD), cryopexy and pneumoretinopexy. Due to failure of the primary surgery, a second procedure was performed the day after with the explant of the prior buckle and the implant of a wider circumferential element. At three months from surgery, the patient complained of severe bilateral vision loss. Multimodal imaging revealed bilateral, multi-focal exudative retinal detachments and choroidal swelling. A diagnosis of presumed SO was made and the patient was treated with a combination of steroid and immunosuppressive drugs. The clinical picture completely resolved at postoperative month 12. Conclusion SO may be a rare complication of SB surgery. In our case, early recognition and prompt immunosuppressive treatment achieved good long-term clinical results.