Sclerosing endophthalmitis in children: computed tomography with histopathologic correlation.

Three children with histopathologically diagnosed sclerosing endophthalmitis presumably secondary to Toxocara canis were studied by orbital computed tomography. The diffuse increased intraocular density present in the CT scans was indistinguishable from that observed in Coats's disease and non-calcifying retinoblastoma. Although retinoblastoma constitutes the major life-threatening cause of leukocoria in children, a number of other simulating conditions (pseudoglioma) can cause diagnostic confusion. In some cases of leukocoria it is exceedingly difficult to exclude the possibility of retinoblastoma without having to resort to enucleation. The availability of new non-invasive tests may make the distinction between retinoblastoma and pseudogliomas more easily attainable. Computed tomography (CT) has been shown to be of particular value in this regard by demonstrating intraocular calcification within retinoblastoma and rarely in lesions that stimulate it. CT may also be used to more appropriately plan therapy for children with retinoblastoma by assessing the status of the optic nerve and orbit. The exact role of CT in the evaluation of children with leukocoria, however, has not been completely established, since the computed tomographic features of several lesions that simulate retinoblastoma have not been described. The three most common causes of pseudoglioma are persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous, Coats's disease and sclerosing endophthalmitis. The latter entity when associated with a characteristic granulomatous inflammation is considered to represent the sequela of Toxocara canis infection of the eye. This report describes the computed tomographic findings in three cases of histologically diagnosed sclerosing endophthalmitis, presumably due to Toxocara canis.