title: Pattern and causes of visual loss in Behçet's uveitis: short-term and long-term outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To analyze the pattern and causes of visual loss in patients with Behçet's uveitis and to report on the short-term outcome at 6 months and at last follow-up visit. Also, to analyze the pattern of visual acuity changes in eyes with and without macular involvement at the specified time points.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective cohort study of a single-center in an academic practice. Fifty-three patients with Behçet's uveitis evaluated between 2004 and 2014 were included. Data on patients diagnosed with Behçet's uveitis were entered retrospectively into a database and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Included were 93 eyes with Behçet's uveitis involving the posterior segment. Frequencies of ≤20/50 and of ≤20/200 VA at presentation were 23.7% and 37.6%, respectively. Retinitis, macular inflammatory infiltrate, and dense vitritis were significantly associated with worse vision. Eyes with macular atrophy and macular inflammatory infiltrate sustained the worst logMAR VA at presentation (1.87 and 1.73, respectively) compared to eyes with cystoid macular edema and epiretinal membrane (0.76 and 0.63, respectively). Eyes with no macular involvement had the best VA at presentation. Mean difference in logMAR VA between presentation and the specified time points was greatest for eyes with macular inflammatory infiltrate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Behçet's disease affected mostly young males with a male-to-female ratio of 4.8:1. Panuveitis and posterior uveitis were the predominant forms and they were intrinsically associated with sight-threatening potential and breadth of ocular complications for which aggressive immunosuppressive therapy was essential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. radgonde@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Radgonde
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amer
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Walaa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Alsughayyar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014605:Uveitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Behçet’s disease; Behçet’s uveitis; Panuveitis; Posterior uveitis