ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate possible risk factors for uveitis among Finnish sarcoidosis patients. METHODS: Patient charts of patients with sarcoidosis, with (n = 97) or without (n = 255) uveitis, and with a comprehensive eye examination from January 2014 to January 2021 at Tays Eye Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Finland were studied. RESULTS: Sarcoidosis patients with uveitis had higher rate of lymphocytopenia (43% vs. 29%, p = 0.041) and lower serum lysozyme levels (2.0 mg/L vs. 2.3 mg/L, p = 0.049; 95% CI, -0.692 to -0.002). Lysozyme level or lymphocytopenia did not have a statistically significant effect on the probability of uveitis in a binary logistic regression analysis. No other differences in the potential risk factors with p-values ≤0.05 were found, including bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) levels, sex, age and history of smoking. CONCLUSION: Lymphocytopenia and lower serum lysozyme levels present as possible risk factors for uveitis among patients with sarcoidosis. Systematic measurement of lymphocyte and lysozyme levels in sarcoidosis is needed to further understand their role as potential risk factors.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Systematic ocular screening is recommended in sarcoidosis, because of a high rate of ocular involvement. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ocular screening is useful in sarcoidosis in a Finnish university hospital population with 0.5 M inhabitants. METHODS: Patient charts of patients with sarcoidosis, without a history of ocular sarcoidosis, without ocular inflammatory symptoms, and with a comprehensive eye exam from January 2014 to January 2021 at Tays Eye Centre, Tampere, Finland, were studied. RESULTS: Five of 262 patients (2%) were diagnosed with asymptomatic uveitis. No other types of ocular sarcoidosis were found. Anterior uveitis without complications was present in three patients, unilaterally in two and bilaterally in one patient. Posterior uveitis was present in two patients, a unilateral choroidal granuloma requiring treatment in one and bilateral punched-out chorioretinal lesions in the other patient. CONCLUSIONS: With this low rate of ocular involvement requiring treatment in sarcoidosis, systematic screening for asymptomatic ocular sarcoidosis does not seem useful in a Finnish population. In Tays Eye Centre, systematic screening of ocular sarcoidosis was discontinued in 2021.
