Global variation and pattern changes in epidemiology of uveitis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Uveitis is an intraocular inflammatory condition with diverse causes influenced by geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors.
• Tropical regions present unique epidemiological patterns for uveitis due to climate and endemic diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the epidemiological patterns of uveitis in a tropical population.
• To identify common causes and age-specific variations in uveitis etiology.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive review of 15,221 uveitis cases from 24 international case series (1972-2007).
• Integration with data from 8,759 additional cases from a community-based eye hospital (1996-2001).
• Analysis of uveitis prevalence, common etiologies, and age-related differences.

Main Results:

• Uveitis constituted 0.8% of hospital outpatient visits.
• Idiopathic uveitis was most frequent (44.6%).
• Common identified causes included leptospiral (9.7%), tuberculous (5.6%), and herpetic uveitis (4.9%).
• Pediatric parasitic anterior uveitis was most common in children (<16 years), while herpetic anterior uveitis predominated in the elderly (>60 years).

Conclusions:

• Infectious uveitis has a high prevalence in tropical populations.
• Uveitis etiology significantly varies across different age groups.
• Understanding these patterns is crucial for targeted diagnosis and management in tropical regions.