ABSTRACT
Purpose: To analyze the role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of ocular fluids in management of tubercular (TB) anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis.
Methods: In Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study (COTS)-1 (25 centers, n = 962), patients with TB-related uveitis were included. 59 patients undergoing PCR of intraocular fluids (18 females; 53 Asian Indians) were included.
Results: 59 (6.13%) of COTS-1 underwent PCR analysis. PCR was positive for Mycobacterium TB in 33 patients (23 males; all Asian Indians). 26 patients were PCR negative (18 males). Eight patients with negative PCR had systemic TB. Anti-TB therapy was given in 18 negative and 31 PCR cases. At 1-year follow-up, five patients with positive PCR (15.15%) and three with negative PCR (11.54%) had persistence/worsening of inflammation.
Conclusions: Data from COTS-1 suggest that PCR is not commonly done for diagnosing intraocular TB and positive/negative results may not influence management or treatment outcomes in the real world scenario.
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.