[Clinical forms of ocular dirofilariasis].

The prevalence of dirofilariasis in Russian Federation has been increasing in recent years. Diagnosis of ocular dirofilariasis is difficult due to polymorphism of its clinical manifestations. Systematized data on this disease in literature is virtually absent. The study included 142 cases of ocular dirofilariasis registered in Russian Federation and the former Soviet Union, which were described in the literature of 1915-2016 years. An analysis of the registered cases of dirofilariasis allowed the following classification points to be defined: localization-based - subcutaneous soft tissue, subconjunctival, orbital, scleral, intraocular; in terms of clinical forms - capsular (with perifocal inflammation, asymptomatic disease course, with fixed or unfixed capsule) and acapsular/migrating (with or without infiltration of surrounding tissues). The most difficult to diagnose are the capsular forms. In such cases, ultrasonography is used to reach final diagnosis. The developed working classification of ocular dirofilariasis enables to refine the approaches to diagnosing this pathology, which will undoubtedly improve the quality of medical care.