Impact of macular edema on visual acuity in uveitis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of cystoid macular edema (CME) on visual acuity in patients with uveitis.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
The data from 529 patients (842 eyes) with uveitis were analyzed.


METHODS
We recorded gender and age of the patients, anatomic site and diagnosis of uveitis, associations with systemic diseases, onset and duration of uveitis, presence of CME, best-corrected visual acuity, and the causes of decrease in visual acuity.


RESULTS
Cystoid macular edema was noted in 175 (33%) of all uveitis patients, of whom 77 (44%) had visual acuity of 20/60 or less in at least 1 eye. The mean visual acuity for eyes with CME was significantly worse than for eyes without CME (0.25 vs. 0.4; P = 0.003). Of all uveitis patients, 185 (35%) had visual acuity of 20/60 or less in at least 1 eye, which was caused by CME in 77 (42%) patients. Poor visual acuity in patients with CME was associated with the advanced age of the patients, chronic inflammation, and various specific uveitis entities. The development of visually impaired or blind eyes in patients with panuveitis and intermediate uveitis was caused in most cases by CME (59% and 85%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Cystoid macular edema was a major cause of visual loss in patients with uveitis. The unsatisfactory visual acuity in patients with uveitis underlines the need for improved management of this complication.
Lardenoye
Charlotte W T A
CW
Department of Ophthalmology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
van Kooij
Bram
B
Rothova
Aniki
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014605:Uveitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity