ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To investigate clinical data, outcome, and treatment of intermediate uveitis in children. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study, including 116 children affected by intermediate uveitis. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of patients were males. Ocular involvement was bilateral in 84%. Mean age at uveitis onset was 10.3 ± 3.6 years and 12.2 ± 7 years at first visit. Ninety-seven percent were classified as having idiopathic uveitis. The incidence of ocular complications during follow-up was 0.131/eye-year. Macular edema or a marked vitreous haze at presentation may be risks factors for incident visual loss. The most frequent causes of visual loss were macular edema (64%) and cataract (21%). CONCLUSIONS: Most cases are idiopathic (pars planitis); only few children presented associated systemic disease. Macular edema and severe vitritis at presentation are associated with increased risk of visual impairment. Cystoid macular edema is the main cause of visual impairment.
Subject(s)
Uveitis, Intermediate/epidemiology , Vision Disorders/epidemiology , Adolescent , Age of Onset , Child , Female , Humans , Incidence , Italy/epidemiology , Macular Edema/complications , Male , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Uveitis, Intermediate/complications , Vision Disorders/etiologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To investigate demographics, causes, features, and visual outcomes of pediatric uveitis. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study including 257 patients younger than 16 years. RESULTS: Mean age at onset of uveitis was 8.54 +/- 3.98 years; 54.5% of the patients were girls. Anterior uveitis occurred in 47.8%, intermediate in 19.4%, posterior in 24.9%, panuveitis in 7.8%. Ocular involvement was bilateral in 67.8%. Infectious uveitis represented 31% of all cases. Causes of severe visual loss were cataract, macular scars, macular edema/maculopathy, and secondary glaucoma. At follow-up 79.3% of eyes maintained a visual acuity between 20/32 and 20/20. CONCLUSIONS: Uveitis is rarer in children than in adults. Patients with anterior uveitis comprised the largest group. Posterior uveitis in the pediatric population has a lower incidence than some decades ago. Visual prognosis of pediatric uveitis is improving, owing to an earlier diagnosis and a correct treatment.
