Purpose
A retrospective study on uveitis features on patients referred to internal medicine for etiologic work-up.
Methods
All new patients with uveitis referred to internal medicine for diagnostic work-up between 2005 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with systemic disease in relation with their uveitis were excluded. Patients with ophthalmic disease only (toxoplasmosis, herpes simplex virus, Birdshot disease,…) were also excluded. Demographic datas, uveitis localization and its features, etiology and internist follow-up were collected for each patient.
Results
The study concerned 441 patients. It reveals 59% women , 85% with european origins, an average age of 45,9 years with 1.1 year average follow-up. 59% had unilateral uveitis. The most common was the anterior uveitis (40.6%) followed by the panuveitis (35.8%), the posterior uveitis (19,5%) and the intermediate uveitis (3,6%).An infectious cause was found for 11,1 % , a non-infectious pathology for 32%. Uveitis remains idiopathic for 56,9%.
Conclusions
Idiopathic uveitis percentage still high .A close collaboration between the ophthalmologist and the internal physician is essential for the care of uveitis A prolonged follow-up of patients with repetitive etiologic check-up, if necessary, could increase the percentage of forms linked to a systemic pathology.
Keywords: 746 uveitis-clinical/animal model •
638 pathology: human •
461 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: natural history