Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Uveitis at Presentation: a Database Study using the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Intelligent Research In Sight (IRIS^®) Registry

Abstract

Purpose : Uveitis is an uncommon but significantly blinding disease. This retrospective database analysis assessed the baseline clinical characteristics of patients in the IRIS Registry presenting with uveitis.

Methods : The first uveitic eye (random eye chosen if bilateral) of each IRIS Registry patient with a new uveitis diagnosis in 2017 was included. Uveitis diagnoses and associated ocular comorbidities were determined by ICD-10 codes. Uveitis cases were anatomically subdivided into: anterior uveitis (AU), intermediate uveitis (IU), posterior uveitis (PU), panuveitis (PanU), scleritis, retinal vasculitis (RV), and “mixed” (scleritis & any intraocular inflammation). Baseline logMAR best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured on the initial date of uveitis diagnosis. Baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) was defined as the maximum IOP on the earliest date within 30 days prior to diagnosis. New patients were defined as those not previously registered in IRIS prior to 2017. Established patients were those seen prior to 2017 who received a new uveitis diagnosis during 2017. Presenting BCVA and IOP were compared against IRIS Registry patients seen in 2017 without uveitis.

Results : PanU had the worst and scleritis had the best mean BCVA at presentation (20/96 and 20/28 Snellen equivalent, respectively) (Figure 1). Presenting IOP was similar among all uveitis subcategories (mean=15.97 mmHg, range=14.66-16.17 mmHg) and controls (mean=15.55 mmHg). However, there was higher variation in the distribution of baseline IOP in uveitis patients compared to controls (Figure 2). AU had the highest rates of glaucoma and cataract at baseline.

Conclusions : Baseline BCVA was worst in PanU and best in scleritis. IOP varied more among patients with uveitis than those without. Glaucoma and cataract were common baseline ocular comorbidities in patients with uveitis.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.

 

Figure 1: Split violin plots showing baseline logMAR BCVA distribution for new and established eyes of patients with and without uveitis in the IRIS Registry.

 

Figure 2: Split violin plots showing the distribution of baseline IOP for new and established eyes of patients with and without uveitis in the IRIS Registry.