title: Clinical features of acute anterior uveitis.
abstract: We studied the clinical features and prognosis of 73 patients with HLA-B27 positive and 71 patients with HLA-B27 negative acute anterior uveitis using computer analysis of more than 50 variables per patient. The patients with HLA-B27 positive acute anterior uveitis showed the following characteristics which were significantly different from patients with HLA-B27 negative acute anterior uveitis: younger age at onset; high male to female ratio; frequent unilateral alternating eye involvement; severe ocular symptoms during activity, such as presence of fibrin in the anterior chamber; absence of mutton fat keratic precipitates; high incidence of ocular complications; and frequent association with seronegative spondyloarthropathies. Despite the difference of disease severity and incidence of complications, the long-term visual outcome did not differ significantly between the two groups. No distinctions were observed when patients with HLA-B27 positive acute anterior uveitis were subdivided according to sex or the presence of ankylosing spondylitis. HLA-B27 positive acute anterior uveitis formed a distinct clinical entity associated with serious prognosis as compared to HLA-B27 negative acute anterior uveitis.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000150:complications; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen