Primary vitreo-retinal lymphoma, an increasing pseudo-uveitis to be taken into account

The clinical assessment of most of vitreo-retinal (VR) inflammations is often challenging: the clinical picture of such diseases can be overlapping and, despite the advances in medical technologies, the routine diagnostic tools might not provide conclusive data. The term ‘Masquerade Syndrome’ was first used in 1967 to describe a case of conjunctival carcinoma that mimicked a chronic conjunctivitis. Masquerade syndromes are disorders that occur with intraocular inflammation and are often misdiagnosed as a chronic resistant, non-infectious uveitis. Very often mesquerade syndrome is a synonymous of intraocular lymphoma which can present insidious clinical pictures, which are very often confused. At this point, the possibility to take a vitreous tap via pars plana can help the ocular immunologist to differentiate between different sub-sets of infectious diseases and masquerade syndrome. The possibility to test the interleukines’ (IL) ratio and to analyze the cytology represents a great scientific advance. Once there is the evidence of a masquarade syndrome, the urgent referral to the hematologist is mandatory, in order to start an appropriate and prompt chemotherapy, both local and systemic.