Article Text
Abstract
Ocular symptoms are a common reason for patients to present to the emergency department or to their primary care physician. Though often benign, these symptoms can also be an early manifestation of systemic disease. We report the case of a patient who presented to the emergency department with 1 week of rash followed by 2 days of fever, sore throat, chills, blurry vision and photophobia. His physical examination was notable for a desquamative rash over his tattoos, left-sided tonsillar exudate and pharyngeal oedema without lymphadenopathy. Biopsy of his tattoos revealed subepithelial non-caseating granulomas, confirming the diagnosis of tattoo granulomas with uveitis. The patient was started on corticosteroids and methotrexate and responded well to treatment. This case emphasises the importance of recognising ocular symptoms that are indicative of systemic disease and require further evaluation.
- ophthalmology
- dermatology
- rheumatology
- immunology
- primary care
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Footnotes
Contributors AA-A reviewed the relevant literature and contributed to the preparation of the manuscript. NA participated in the initial evaluation of the patient and in the preparation of the manuscript. NK was involved in the evaluation of the patient and in the preparation of the manuscript.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.