The Rarest Disease of Indian Community: Ocular Tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis is an ancient disease and we can find its description in the ancient Buddhist and Chinese writings. Ocular tuberculosis is an extrapulmonary mycobacterial infection with variable manifestations. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a gram-positive, acid-fast bacillus (AFB) which spreads from person to person through airborne droplets. Prevalence of ocular tuberculosis in India is 0.4–9.8%. The term “ocular TB” describes an infection by the M. tuberculosis species that can affect any part of the eye (intraocular, superficial, or surrounding the eye), with or without systemic involvement. “Secondary ocular TB” is defined as ocular involvement as a result of seeding by hematogenous spread from a distant site or direct invasion by contiguous spread from adjacent structures, like the sinus or cranial cavity. Standard anti-TB treatment (ATT) 6 months of therapy based on WHO recommendations for first 8 weeks is Rifampin, Isoniazid, Ethambutol and Pyrazinamide and for next 18 weeks is Rifampin and Isoniazid.