Prevalence of presumed ocular tuberculosis among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in a tertiary hospital in the Philippines

Seven out of the 103 pulmonary TB patients (6.8% prevalence: 95% CI 2.78% to 13.5%) included in the study showed signs of ocular inflammation. There was no sex and age predilection between those with presumed ocular TB and those without. Posterior uveitis alone was observed in three of the patients (two cases of retinal vasculitis and one case of choroidal tubercle). Non-granulomatous anterior uveitis with posterior synechiae alone was observed in two patients. One patient had combined non-granulomatous anterior uveitis with posterior synechiae and choroidal tubercle. One had combined granulomatous anterior uveitis with posterior synechiae and choroidal tubercle. Intermediate uveitis was not noted among the patients.Presumed ocular tuberculosis should be considered among patients with diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis. Common ocular lesions found in the study include choroidal tubercle and non-granulomatous anterior uveitis with posterior synechiae.According to the World Health Organization, the Philippines ranks fourth in the world for the number of cases of tuberculosis (TB) and has the highest number of cases per head in Southeast Asia. Almost two thirds of Filipinos have TB, and up to five million people are infected yearly [1], making it a major public health concern in the country. TB in the Philippines ranked fifth in the 10 leading causes of death and fifth in the 10 leading causes of illness, with an incidence reported to be 6.3 per thousand per year (culture positive) and 2.6 per thousand per year (smear positive) [2]. The increased incidence has economic repercussions not only for the patient's family, but also for the country, with most TB patients belonging to the economically productive age group (15 to 54？years old) [1].Though more commonly infecting the pulmonary system, it can also manifest as extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) affecting the gastrointestinal, skeletal, cardiac, genitourinary, and nervous systems including the eye. Diagnosis of these extra-pul