title: Changes in patterns of uveitis at a tertiary referral center in Northern Italy: analysis of 990 consecutive cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of uveitis, an uncommon ocular disease, is often neglected in research and treatment of autoimmune conditions. The study described the spectrum of uveitis at a referral center in North Italy, and compared that to a previously published series of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed all patients with uveitis diagnosed from 2013 to 2015 at the Immunology Eye Unit, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy. We examined patient characteristics, disease spectrum, and etiologies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 990 cases of uveitis were identified, who were mostly female (59%) with a median age at presentation of 44 years (interquartile range = 29-57). Anterior uveitis was most frequent (53.5%), followed by panuveitis (22.8%), posterior (16.2%), and intermediate uveitis (5.5%). Anterior herpetic uveitis (15.6%), Fuchs uveitis (9.7%), and HLA-B27 positive anterior uveitis (7.7%) were the most common specific diagnoses. Compared with the previous series, we observed an increased incidence of uveitis, and a different pattern of diagnoses. Rates of herpetic, HLA-B27 positive uveitis, and presumed ocular tuberculosis were higher, but Fuchs uveitis was less frequent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pattern of uveitis appears to be changing, very likely due to population-level increases in infectious diseases, to the availability of new diagnostic tests and to the interdisciplinary approach used in patient diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Eye Unit, Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy. cimino.luca@asmn.re.it.
authors.forename: Cimino
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7956-9950
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luca
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldigeri
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raffaella
authors.affiliation: Immunology Eye Unit, Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.|Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Marchi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sylvia
authors.affiliation: Immunology Eye Unit, Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.|Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Mastrofilippo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valentina
authors.affiliation: Immunology Eye Unit, Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Viscogliosi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fabiana
authors.affiliation: Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Coassin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.affiliation: Immunology Eye Unit, Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.|Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Soldani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Annamaria
authors.affiliation: Scientific Directorate, Arcispedale S.M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Savoldi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luisa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova.IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: De Fanti
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alessandro
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology, Allergy and Advanced Biotechnologies Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Belloni
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lucia
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology, Allergy and Advanced Biotechnologies Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Zerbini
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Alessandro
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology, Allergy and Advanced Biotechnologies Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Parmeggiani
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maria
authors.affiliation: Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Chersich
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matthew
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Soriano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alessandra
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvarani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carlo
authors.affiliation: Eye Department, Arcispedale S. M. Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Fontana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luigi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015864:Panuveitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014605:Uveitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000453:epidemiology; D015867:Uveitis, Intermediate / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Epidemiology; Infection; Interdisciplinary approach; Italy; Systemic disease; Uveitis