Clinical features and prognostic factors in Fuchs' uveitis

To identify clinical features and prognostic factors in patients with Fuchs' uveitis (FU). All patients diagnosed with FU at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital between 1983 and 2005 were reviewed. Data collected included age, gender, initial and final visual acuities, clinical findings at presentation and during follow-up visits, interval between onset of symptoms and presentation to our institute, ocular complications, details of surgical procedures, and duration of follow-up. One hundred and sixty-six patients (174 eyes) were identified. There were 92 (55.4%) males and 74 (44.6%) females with a mean age of 35.2 ± 10.5 years (range 10-70 years). The mean follow-up period was 57.3 ± 96.7 months (range 1-146 months). The most common presenting symptom was decreased vision (79.9%). Characteristic keratic precipitates (90.2%), diffuse iris stromal atrophy (100%), heterochronmia (13.9%), iris nodules (13.8%), vitreous opacity (50%) (not including sparse vitreous infiltration), cataract (85.6%) and glaucoma (27.6%) were the major clinical findings. The following factors were significantly associated with final visual acuity of 20/40 or better by univariate analysis: shorter interval between onset of symptoms and presentation (p = 0.0087), good initial visual acuity of 20/40 or better (p = 0.0356), absence of glaucoma at presentation (p = 0.0264), no glaucoma surgery (p = 0.0035), and absence of glaucoma and cataract at last visit (p = 0.0126). Logistic regression analysis revealed that final visual acuity of 20/40 or better was negatively correlated with a longer interval between onset of symptoms and presentation (odds ratio (OD) 0.201; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.0734-0.548), and glaucoma surgical intervention (OD 0.247; 95% CI 0.0796-0.766). Initial visual acuity of 20/40 or better was positively associated with final visual acuity of 20/40 or better (OD 3.34; 95% CI 1.13-9.90). A shorter interval between onset of symptoms and presentation to our institute, better initial visual acuity, and no glaucoma surgery were significantly associated with better final visual acuity.