Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine visual function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with uveitis and investigate the association between clinical parameters of uveitis and visual functioning.
Methods: :
A prospective cross-sectional study. Consecutive adult patients attending the uveitis outpatient clinic were enrolled over a two-month period. The 25-item National Eye Institute visual function questionnaire (VFQ-25) was administered by a single trained interviewer. Scores on the VFQ-25 were analyzed and converted to a 100-point scale in which 100 represents the best possible score and 0 represents the worst. Sociodemographic and clinical data was also collected. Subgroup differences were compared using T-tests and Kruskal- Wallis tests.
Results: :
48 patients participated. The VFQ-25 scores for uveitic patients for all domains were significantly lower than scores for normal age-matched controls. (p <0.05). QOL was also generally poorer among patients with bilateral ocular involvement. The group differences were statistically significant for the domains of distance vision, mental health, role limitations and dependency (p<0.05). Significantly lower VFQ scores were noted in the domains of general vision and mental health for patients with poorer visual acuity of the affected eye. Patients with chronic uveitis tended to report worse QOL in all domains as compared to patients with acute or recurrent disease, though these differences did not attain statistical significance. Multiple regression analysis showed that patients with bilateral involvement reported poorer mental health, greater role limitations and poorer functioning in daily tasks requiring distance vision. The relationship observed remained moderately strong even after taking into account the influences of gender, course of disease and visual acuity.
Conclusions: :
Patients with uveitis reported markedly poorer visual functioning than normal subjects. Patients with bilateral disease, poor visual acuity and chronic uveitis patterns have poorer visual functioning. The VFQ-25 can provide complementary information when performed in uveitic patients to assess the impact of disease and its therapy on their quality of life.
Keywords: uveitis-clinical/animal model • quality of life • inflammation