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EVA JAKOB, MIRJAM S. REULAND, FRIEDERIKE MACKENSEN, NADINE HARSCH, MONIKA FLECKENSTEIN, HANNS-MARTIN LORENZ, REGINA MAX, and MATTHIAS D. BECKER ABSTRACT. Objective. Studies on the epidemiology of uveitis are rare and cohorts are small. We analyzed the frequencies of classified forms of uveitis in all patients at our center. Methods. We studied 1916 consecutive patients with inflammatory eye disease. Data were analyzed regarding associated systemic disease, infection, ocular syndromes, anatomic localization, age, and sex. Results. In 59.1% of patients, a classified form of uveitis was observed: associated systemic diseases in 43.7%, the most frequent ones sarcoidosis (17.4%) and ankylosing spondylitis (16.8%); ocular syndromes in 34.3%, the most frequent HLA-B27-positive anterior uveitis (AU; 35.1%) and Fuchs uveitis syndrome (FUS; 34.3%); and infections in 22.4%, the most frequent herpetic infections (46.1%) and toxoplasmosis (31.5%). We found AU in 45.4% of patients (15.4% HLA-B27-positive AU and 11.3% FUS), intermediate uveitis in 22.9% (unclassified 53.7% and multiple sclerosis 10.3%), and posterior uveitis in 13.5% (24.7% toxoplasmosis). Panuveitis was diagnosed in 6.2% of cases (Behçet’s disease 12.6%; sarcoidosis 10.9%). The remaining 12.0% of cases showed extrauveal manifestations (scleritis, episcleritis, keratitis, optic neuritis, myositis, and orbital inflammation). Conclusion. We describe the largest cohort to date of consecutive patients from a specialized uveitis center. The high frequency of classified disease, nearly 60% in our clinic, shows the usefulness of an interdisciplinary approach, oriented on anatomic presentation. (J Rheumatol First Release Dec 15 2008; doi:10.3899/jrheum.080102) Key Indexing Terms: UVEITIS EPIDEMIOLOGY DIAGNOSIS OCULAR INFLAMMATION From the Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center, University Eye Hospital; and the Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center, Department for Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Dr. Jakob and Dr. Reuland contributed equally to this report. E. Jakob, MD; M.S. Reuland, MD, Resident; F. Mackensen, MD, Ophthalmologist; N. Harsch, MD, Resident; M. Fleckenstein, MD, Resident, Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center, University Eye Hospital; H. Lorenz, MD, Professor of Rheumatology; R. Max, MD, Rheumatologist, Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center, Department for Internal Medicine V; M.D. Becker, Professor of Ophthalmology, Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center, University Eye Hospital. Address reprint requests to Dr. F. Mackensen, Interdisciplinary Uveitis Center, University Eye Hospital, INF 350, Heidelberg 69120, Germany. E-mail: Friederike.Mackensen@uveitiszentrum.de Accepted for publication August 29, 2008. |
