Patterns of uveitis in a Philippine eye clinic

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To describe the distribution and clinical characteristics of endogenous uveitis among patients in a Philippine eye clinic. METHODS: The demographic and clinical data of 103 uveitis patients consulting at the Asian Eye Institute over an 18-month period were analyzed and compared with a previous report. RESULTS: The mean age at consultation was 43 +/- 17 years (range 5 to 83). The maleto-female ratio was 11.3. The racial distribution consisted of Malay (77 %), Chinese (22%), and Indian (1%). Forty-one patients (40%) presented with anterior uveitis, 15 (15%) with intermediate uveitis, 19 (18 %) with posterior uveitis, and 28 (27%) with panuveitis. The most frequent diagnoses were idiopathic anterior uveitis (24 %), pars planitis (14 %), multifocal choroiditis and panuveitis (9 %), Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (9 %), and Behcets disease (8%). Long-term systemic therapy was needed for control of uveitis in 66 (64%) patients. Twenty patients (20 %) developed sight-threatening ocular complications. Twelve patients (12%) with panuveitis became bilaterally blind. CONCLUSIONS: The patterns of uveitis in the Philippines have markedly changed over the past 2 decades. Significant rates of ocular complications and blindness were found in this series, particularly among patients with panuveitis. These patients should be treated aggressively with corticosteroids and long-term immunosuppressive therapy.