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.