Pars Planitis

I have been diagnosed by a retinal specialist with Pars Planitis. Currently, inflammation exists like a "snowbank" in my left eye, the vitreous (sp?) gel of my eye is become too viscous too quickly (I'm only 22, but the doc says my eyes would say I was in my forties). The remaining gel in my left eye has caused a lens-like bubble in my vision of blurriness, there are also reaccuring flashes in my vision which suggest retinal detachment (The doc says she doesn't see any retinal tearing, just that the gel becoming a liquid is tugging on the nerves).
The Doc tells me all she can do is wait and watch and see what it does, but as of yesterday, the same symptoms have begun manifesting themselves in my right eye. I would hate to go blind and was curious as to if there is any way I can reduce the inflammation (Aside from steroids which the Doc and I are both hesitant about) or help my eyes at all. This has all started rather suddenly over the last two months and I would like very much to know if this is really as bad as the readings/findings on the internet search engines suggest. Can this be tied to MS?
According to blood work and X-rays and otherwise, I'm 100% healthy, no other problems. So what's going on and how do I fix it?
Thanks.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Pars Planitis is a disease in which there is far more that we don't know than that we do know. Steroids are used to treat severe cases but they have many side effects. There are multiple other forms of therapy for severe problems including freezing treatments and oral antimetabolites.There is a statistical association with multiple sclerosis but most patients with PP do not develop MS.

I would get a second opinion from another retina specialist or a specialist in ocular inflammatory disease. If they both say the same thing then observation would be the best option. You should have a good general exam and you may need to see a neurologist or rheumatolgist.

PP is a serious disease, sometimes it burns itself out without doing a lot of damage.

JCH III MD

JCH III MD

[Riyeon]

The blurriness has been getting worse for the last few weeks in my left eye and there are shadows also developing in the vitreous. I'm also getting severe headaches just above and behind my eye.
Is this just part of the process of that gel becoming liquid or should I hit the panic button and check in with the doc again?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Hit the panic button and try and get in tomorrow to see your Ophthalmologist.

JCH III MD

[Toady601]

Our daughter is 12.  She was diagnosed about 8 weeks ago with PP and possibly JRA.  She temporarily lost vision in her right eye due to a complication from the PP which cause a blood vessel to burst.  Fortunately, our retinal specialist saved her eye.  She is starting to have blurred vision again and her pressures are at 45.  The specialist has reduced the number of predforte drops per day and has changed her other drops.  Have you ever dealt with this problem?  Any suggestions?

Thanks...worried mom.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

PP is a serious problem and your daughter needs to be under the care of a retina Eye MD basically forever.

You can use the search feature, archives and health topics to review previous discussions of PP.

Also read this article:

http://www.emedicine.com/oph/topic445.htm

JCH III MD

[newmommy519]

My husband was dignosed with PP when he was little and had several eye surgeries to help stop the progression. I just had a baby and was wondering if he is at risk for this disease?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

No, no higher than your risk or mine which is very low. Not hereditary.
JCH MD

[badrock1983]

I was diagnosed with PP in late 2003.  The symptoms appeared in early 2003 about a month after I got back from spending 4 weeks in Vienna, Austria.  I saw two different retina specialists.  The first tried steroid drops along with steroid injections beneath the eye.  This continued for over 4 months at which point my father told me about the other specialist and I went and saw him.  A month after he did pictures of my retina and many thorough examinations of my left and right eyes he scheduled surgery for my left eye due to the amount of "floaters" in it.  I received a total of 2 steroid injections directly into my left eye from him, one at the end of the surgery and 1 a month later.  He also determined that I had PP in my right eye as well but a much less severe case.  After about 4 yrears the PP started really showing in my right eye, and has since began showing in my left eye again.  This time there are the same floaters in my right eye that were in my left, not quite as bad, and there are almost no floaters in my left, but I see a lens like circle of bluriness in the center of my vision in my left eye.  The first specialist tested me for all STDs and TB as possible causes but tested for nothing else.  the second specialist didn't test for anything at all just diagnosed and treated.  It has now been 9 years since the first onset of symptoms and my left eye has gone from 20/20 to about 20/50 and at least due to the floaters is no better than 20/60 now and was 20/25 before.  I also see the circle of cluriness in my right eye as well.  I have been unable to have my PP treated since the second onset of the symptoms due to severe financial difficulty.  I don't know what to do because it is getting to the point where I don't know how much longer I will actually be able to see.  Is there anything I can do?  Who should I see now since the retina specialists "fix" costs a fortune.  Can a persistent sinus infection cause PP?  I honestly have no idea how to proceed or what I should do now.  Please any advise would be appreciated.  Also, please note that my PP onset when I was 20 years and 4 months old.  At least that is when the syjmtpoms began to show.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

A persistent sinus infection is not a likely cause of pars planitis. Without treatment you likely would have very poor vision now. You need to remain under the care of an Eye MD retina specialist.

If you have financial problems you can check with a medical school where indigent or poor patients are treated free or at reduced rates by ophthalmology residents under the supervision of staff ophthalmologists.

OR you can go to www.geteyesmart.org and look under the Eye Care America which is a USA program in which US ophthalmologists volunteer care for screened needy patients.

JCH MD