Etiology and Clinical Features of Ocular Inflammatory Diseases in a Tertiary Referral Centre in Sydney, Australia

Abstract

Purpose: To report the pattern of uveitis in patients attending a tertiary uveitis service in Sydney, Australia.

Methods: The charts of patients seen between January 2009 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Data pertaining to patient demographics, eye examination on presentation, work-up and final diagnoses were collected.

Results: The total number of patients with uveitis seen over this period was 1165. There were 650 males (56%) and 515 females (44%). There were 838 patients aged 17-60 years (72%) and 327 patients aged >60 years (28%). Uveitis was anterior in 735 patients (63%), posterior in 234 patients (20%), pan in 109 patients (9%), and intermediate in 87 patients (8%). The most common associations were HLA-B27+ve (264 patients; 22.8%), sarcoidosis (78 patients; 6.7%) and Fuchs (33 patients; 2.8%), while VZV (51 patients; 4.4%), HSV (49 patients; 4.2%), tuberculosis (49 patients; 4.2%) and toxoplasmosis (48 patients; 4.1%) were the most common infectious causes of uveitis. No identifiable association was found in 389 patients (33.4%). HLA-B27 was more common in the younger age group compared with the older age group (p<0.001, χ²-test), but there was no difference between the age groups for no identifiable cause (p value 0.24) and sarcoidosis (p value 0.08).

Conclusions: This retrospective case review reveals a broad spectrum of uveitis in a tertiary referral service in Sydney, Australia. It is comparable with other major studies around the world.

Keywords: Epidemiology; inflammatory eye disease; ocular inflammation; uveitis.