Background Birdshot retinochoroiditis (BRC) is a rare and chronic bilateral uveitis mostly found in Caucasians. As few data are available about the clinical course of BRC in Hispanic patients, we aimed to report the clinical findings and the evolution of BRC in Brazilian patients. Methods This retrospective cohort multicenter nationwide study was performed by analyzing the records of patients with BRC diagnoses from Brazilian ophthalmological centers from April 1995 to May 2020. Results Forty patients (80 eyes) with a diagnosis of BRC were evaluated. The mean age was 53 years, and there was no sex predominance. All tested patients (34/40) were positive for HLA-A29. The diagnosis of BRC was made following the Levinson et al. criteria, and all ancillary tests were performed to exclude differential diagnoses. Clinical signs and symptoms, such as complications and treatment, were described. Conclusions BRC evolution in Brazilian patients seems to have some peculiarities that diverge from the published literature available about Caucasians, as AS inflammation is higher in this population.

BackgroundSyphilitic uveitis is reemerging globally, may lead to any type of intraocular inflammation, and is potentially sight-threatening. We aim to characterize clinical features and prognostic factors in patients with syphilitic posterior uveitis.MethodsRetrospective chart review at two tertiary university-based referral centers in Brazil. Clinical data, laboratory results, and treatment outcomes were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables.ResultsForty-four patients (81 eyes) were consecutively diagnosed with syphilitic posterior uveitis between March 2011 and April 2013.Thirty-one were male (70.5%) and the mean age was 43.8 years (range 15–81). HIV confection was disclosed in 12 patients (29.3%). The most prevalent finding was vitritis (85.2%), followed by retinal involvement (76.4%) and optic disc abnormalities (63.5%). After treatment, mean visual acuity improved from 1.2 (20/320) to 0.6 (20/80; median 20/30), but 19 eyes (23.5%) persisted with ≤ 1.0 (20/200). Factors associated with final visual acuity ≤ 1.0 despite therapy were prior use of systemic corticosteroids (p = 0.001), higher Venereal Disease Research Laboratory titers (p = 0.004), longer duration of symptoms (p = 0.024), and worse initial VA (p < 0.001).ConclusionsSyphilitic uveitis is reemerging. Delayed diagnosis and inadvertent use of systemic corticosteroids are potentially modifiable prognostic factors to be considered for possibly improving outcomes.

Keywords ResumoObjective: To assess the impact of being an only-child on characteristics of parental and peer relationships, school achievement, social, and sexual behavior. Methods: Three hundred and sixty adolescents identified at the third year of high school were sampled from a private school at Porto Alegre in the years 2000 and 2001. Fifteen-to nineteen-year-old males and females were selected in a cross-sectional study. Assessment of demographic data, schooling of parents, birth order (onlychild, first-born and not-first-born children), cigarette smoking, alcoholic beverages consumption, illicit drug use, school achievement, social and sexual behavior and their characteristics were gathered with a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire, anonymously completed at classroom. Results: This study was composed by 8% only-children, 35% first-born, and 57% not-first-born adolescents of a homogeneous socioeconomic sample. Social behavior, parental and peer relationships, sports practicing, smoking and illicit drug use were not associated with birth order. Only-children were less likely to report an episode of alcohol intoxication (39%) than first-born (68.9%; p=0.03) and adolescents with siblings (72.3%; p<0.001). Only-children had higher school achievement than adolescents with siblings (p=0.03). Sexual behavior distinguished only-children due to younger age at first sexual intercourse and lower rate of heterosexual selfidentification, which persisted even after adjustment for confounding variables compared to not-first-born adolescents (p=0.038). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the status of being an only-child is not associated with a poorer outcome in several areas of the development. The impact of the presence of siblings in the development of sexual identification should be further explored.Adolescents. Only-child. Alcohol. Drug use. Smoking. Sexual behavior.Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto de ser filho único sobre as características de relacionamento com amigos e pais, desempenho escolar, comportamento social e sexual. Métodos: Realizou-se um estudo incluindo-se um total de 360 adolescentes identificados no terceiro ano do ensino médio de uma escola privada de Porto Alegre, em 2000 e 2001. Adolescentes do sexo masculino e feminino, com idade entre 15 e 19 anos foram selecionados para participar de um estudo transversal. Um questionário anônimo, pré-testado e auto-administrado foi preenchido em sala de aula com dados demográficos, educação dos pais, ordem de nascimento (filho único, primogênito e não primogênito), tabagismo, consumo de bebidas alcoóli-cas, uso de drogas ilícitas, desempenho escolar, comportamento social e sexual e outras características. Resultados: Identificaram-se 8% de adolescentes filhos únicos, 35% primogênitos e 57% não primogênitos em uma amostra socioeconomicamente homogênea. Comportamento social, relacionamento com os pais e amigos, prática de esportes, tabagismo e uso de drogas não se associaram com ordem de nascimento. Os filhos únicos menos freqüentemente relataram...

Sub-Tenon's injection of triamcinolone provides reduced macular thickness and improvement in visual acuity with no significant adverse effects and is therefore an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of sequelae of uveitis.