Eales disease

Eales disease
Classification and external resources
Specialty ophthalmology
ICD-10 H35.0
DiseasesDB 4028
eMedicine article/1225636

Eales disease is a type of obliterative vasculopathy, also known as angiopathia retinae juvenilis, periphlebitis retinae, primary perivasculitis of the retina, is an ocular disease characterized by inflammation and possible blockage of retinal blood vessels, abnormal growth of new blood vessels (neovascularization), and recurrent retinal and vitreal hemorrhages.[1] Eales' disease with a characteristic clinical picture, fluorescein angiographic finding, and natural course and is considered a specific disease entity.

Pathology

It is characterized by three overlapping stages of venous inflammation (vasculitis), occlusion, and retinal neovascularization.

Clinical course

Patients are often asymptomatic in the initial stages of retinal perivasculitis. Some patients may develop symptoms such as floaters, blurring vision, or even gross diminution of vision due to massive vitreous hemorrhage. Vision in these patients can be normal to hand movements or light perception only. Bilaterality is quite common (50–90%) patients.

History

The condition was first described in young adult men by Henry Eales in 1880.[2] Although men have been reported to have an increased prevalence of Eales disease, one study reported that men and women are affected equally.[3]

Epidemiology

Eales disease most commonly affects healthy young adults. Male predominance (up to 97.6%) has been reported in a majority of the series. The predominant age of onset of symptoms is between 20 and 30 years. The disease is now seen more commonly in the Indian subcontinent.

Aetiology

The cause of this condition is not known. However in a significant number of patients, DNA of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected by PCR.[4]

See also

References

  1. Cassin, B.; Solomon, S. (1990). Dictionary of Eye Terminology. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company.
  2. Elliot, AJ (1954). "Recurrent intraocular hemorrhage in young adults (Eales's Disease): A report of thirty-one cases". Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society 52: 811–75. PMC 1312611. PMID 13274441.
  3. Eales disease at eMedicine
  4. Madhavan, HN; Therese, KL; Doraiswamy, K (March 2002). "Further investigations on the association of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with Eales' disease". Indian J Ophthalmol 50 (1): 35–9. PMID 12090085.

External links

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