Clinical Features and Incidence Rates of Ocular Complications in Patients With Retinal Vasculitis

To describe the incidence rates of visual loss and ocular complications in patients with retinal vasculitis (RV).

Retrospective cohort study.

Clinical data were collected for 96 patients (175 eyes) diagnosed with RV from 2003 to 2013. Main outcome measures included rates of visual loss and ocular complications. Comparison of outcomes in patients with a relapsing vs nonrelapsing disease also were analyzed.

Over a median follow-up of 44 months (range: 1-153 months), the rate of visual loss to 20/50 or worse was 0.13 per eye-year (/EY, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09/EY to 0.18/EY) and to 20/200 or worse was 0.06/EY (95% CI, 0.04/EY to 0.08/EY). The most common complications were cataract (0.31/EY), epiretinal membrane (0.16/EY), and recurrent macular edema (0.09/EY). Patients with a relapsing course (median number of relapses = 1, range: 1-6) appeared to have greater risk for visual loss to 20/50 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.07; 95% CI, 0.88-4.90, P = .09) and 20/200 or worse (OR = 2.49; 95% CI, 0.98-6.30, P = .05). Immunosuppressive drug therapy lowered the risk of visual loss, independent of relapsing disease course (OR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66-0.94, P = .01 and OR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.57-0.93, P = .01 for the 20/50 or worse and 20/200 or worse thresholds, respectively).

Rates of visual loss and complications among patients with RV were similar to reported rates in noninfectious uveitides. Treatment with immunosuppressive drugs lowered the risk of visual loss. A relapsing course suggested an increased risk for visual loss but was not statistically significant, perhaps owing to low numbers of recurrences.