[Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of sympathetic ophthalmia].

Clinical factors of risk of sympathic ophthalmia (SO) determined by the type of injury, methods of surgical and drug treatment, and supported by published data were distinguished as a result of treating 158 patients with SO at the Helmholts Research Institute of Ophthalmic Diseases from 1965 to 1994. Special attention is paid to the possibility of SO development during steroid therapy of posttraumatic uveitis. In such cases SO develops in case of 1) sudden discontinuation of a course of steroids; 2) discontinuation of a short course of steroid therapy in the presence of persisting signs of posttraumatic uveitis; and 3) in surgery on the traumatized (operated on) eyes and low steroid doses.