title: Visual outcomes and ocular morbidity of patients with uveitis referred to a tertiary center during first year of follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the visual outcomes and morbidity of newly referred uveitis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study of 133 newly referred uveitis patients with active uveitis who required care in a tertiary center for at least 1 year. Main outcomes were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at referral and 1 year after referral, duration of visual impairment, systemic medications used, as well as all complications and surgeries during the first year of follow-up. Generalized estimating equation models was used to assess prognosticators for poor BCVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age at onset of uveitis was 43 years. The proportion of patients with at least one eye with BCVA ≤0.3 decreased from 35% at referral to 26% (P=0.45) at 1-year follow-up. The mean duration of visual impairment in the first year after referral was 4 months per affected eye. At 1-year follow-up, bilateral visual impairment was observed in 4% but at least one ocular complication developed in 66% and 30% of patients required at least one intraocular surgery. Systemic immunosuppressive treatment was required in 35% of patients and the mean number of visits to ophthalmologist was 11 per year, while 8% of patients required hospital admission. Prognosticators for poor visual outcome included surgery undergone before referral (odds ratio (OR), 3; 95% CI, 1-11; P=0.047), visual impairment at referral (OR, 21; 95% CI, 8-54; P<0.001), and glaucoma before referral (OR, 7; 95% CI, 2-28; P=0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with severe uveitis had a favorable BCVA 1 year after referral with only 4% of patients having bilateral visual impairment. This, in contrast to the prolonged duration of visual impairment during the first year of follow-up and the demanding care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Groen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ramdas
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Hoog
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Vingerling
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rothova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D013997:Time Factors; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data