Epidemiology of Uveitis in a Spanish Region: Prevalence and Etiology

Objective To estimate the prevalence of uveitis and to describe its etiologic and anatomical patterns based on a population study carried out in a Spanish region. Material and methods A cross-sectional, descriptive, population-based multicenter study was conducted. The selection criteria consisted of having a diagnosis of uveitis. All data were collected from existing information in medical records. Clinical information was collected in all cases that had a diagnosis of uveitis, regardless of its etiology, in participating centers from the date of the study to the end of the following year. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, which included assessment of their visual acuity, biomicroscopy, applanation tonometry, and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Results During the study, 389 cases of uveitis were registered. The prevalence was 58.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 53.0-64.9). The mean age was 47.0 +/- 20.6 years and 57.8% were women. The most prevalent anatomical pattern was anterior uveitis (54.2; 95% CI 48.1-60.8). For adults, the idiopathic group constituted the highest prevalence (31.7; 95% CI: 27.1-36.9), while autoimmune etiology was most frequent for children (10.6; 95% CI: 5.8-17.7). Conclusion The results of this population-based study offer a representative estimate of the magnitude of uveitis in this area of Spain.