Changing Frequency Of Uveitis In Tokyo Area

Abstract

Purpose: : To investigate the changing frequency of uveitis in Tokyo area.

Methods: : The retrospective study was made to examine the number of new patients who visited the outpaients clinics of Tokyo University Hospital for the first time and were diagnosed as uveitis from January of 2007 to December of 2009. The frequencies of the diagnosed diseases were compared to those which previously examined in our hospital (from 1963 to 1964, 1965 to 1969, 1974 to 1977, 1981 to 1983, and 1989 to 2006).

Results: : From 2007 to 2009, 468 new patients (225 men, 243 women) with uveitis were visited to Tokyo University Hospital. Mean age was 51.6 ± 18.2 years (men 50.8 years, women 52.3 years). Definitive diagnosis was made in 290 cases (62.0%). The most common diagnoses were sarcoidosis (9.4%), Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease (7.9%), Behçet disease (5.6%), Posner-Schlossman syndrome (4.3%), herpetic iridocyclitis (herpes simplex virus or varicella-zoster virus) (3.2%), HLA-B27-associated uveitis (3.0%), cytomegalovirus (CMV) iridocyclitis (2.8%), intraocular malignant lymphoma (2.8%). The most frequent unclassified uveitis was sarcoidosis-suspected (16.1%). When we compared with our former findings since 1963, the present series showed an increasing trend for sarcoidosis and VKH and decreasing trend for Behçet disease. CMV iridocyclitis and intraocular malignant lymphoma were low frequency in our former investigation, but they were increasing in the current study. The number of diagnostic disease name was increased 11 to 38 over 40 years.

Conclusions: : The most frequent uveitis in Tokyo area was sarcoidosis, VKH disease, Behçet disease, and Posner Schlossmann syndrome during 40 years, whereas the ratio of sarcoidosis and VKH are increasing and that of Behçet disease is decreasing in our longitudinal investigation. Overall rate to reach definite diagnoses stayed in the same level as before, yet, more detailed-diagnoses (from 11 increased up to 38) were made in this current investigation.

Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications • uvea • inflammation