An Update on the Epidemiology of Uveitis in an Urban Setting in Northern Madrid, Spain

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the incidence, prevalence and etiologies of uveitis in Madrid, Spain.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in a single hospital. All consecutive cases of uveitis that attended the Hospital during year 2019 were included. Mean incidence and prevalence were calculated.

Results: Three hundred and one cases were included. Of these, 127 were incident. This represents an incidence of 21.24 new cases per 100,000 persons/year, and a prevalence was 50.43 cases per 100,000 persons. Mean age was 56.89 ± 18.78 years, and 159 were women (52.8%). Sixty-two cases were infectious (20.6%). Age (p = .005), initial visual acuity (p = .001) and cystoid macular oedema (CMO; p = .010) were found to be independent predictors of the final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with uveitis.

Conclusions: Uveitis affects approximately 1 in 1800 persons in northern Madrid. Younger age, better initial visual acuities and the presence of CMO predicted better final BCVA.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Spain; incidence; ophthalmology; prevalence; uveitis.