Systemic Associations of Sarcoid Uveitis: Correlation With Uveitis Phenotype and Ethnicity

To examine systemic associations of sarcoid uveitis and association with uveitis clinical phenotype and ethnicity.

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

A total of 362 subjects with definite or presumed sarcoid uveitis from Moorfields Eye Hospital, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear, and Auckland District Health Board.

Data were collected from the review of clinical notes, imaging, and investigations. Sarcoidosis was diagnosed in accordance with the International Workshop on Ocular Sarcoidosis guidelines.

Diagnosis of associated systemic disease secondary to sarcoidosis.

A total of 362 subjects with sarcoid uveitis were identified. Median age was 46 years, and 226 (62.4%) were female. Granulomatous anterior uveitis (47.8%), intermediate uveitis with snowballs (46.4%), and multifocal choroiditis (43.1%) were the most frequent clinical presentations, and disease was bilateral in 313 (86.5%). Periphlebitis was observed in 21.0%, and solitary optic nerve or choroidal granuloma in 11.3%. Lung parenchymal disease was diagnosed in 200 subjects (55.2%), cutaneous sarcoid in 98 (27.1%), sarcoid arthritis in 57 (15.7%), liver involvement in 21 (5.8%), neurosarcoid in 49 (13.5%), and cardiac sarcoid in 16 subjects (4.4%). Subjects with cardiac sarcoid were less likely to have granulomatous anterior uveitis (P = .017). Caucasian subjects were older at presentation (48 vs 41 years; P = .009), had less granulomatous anterior uveitis (26.4% vs 51.7%; P < .001), and were less likely to present with cutaneous involvement (23.1% vs 35.4%; P = .040).

Ophthalmologists need to be aware of the systemic associations of sarcoid uveitis, in particular potentially life-threatening complications such as cardiac sarcoidosis. Differences observed in uveitis phenotype and between ethnicities require further investigation.