Analysis of the clinical diagnosis and treatment of uveitis.

BACKGROUND:Uveitis is a not uncommon potentially sight-threatening intraocular inflammatory disorder and a major cause of blindness worldwide. Early diagnosis and effective treatment are very important to reduce complications and protect vision. METHODS:In a retrospective series, we enrolled 263 (390 eyes) consecutive uveitis patients, comprising 126 males and 137 females. The clinical types of uveitis, treatment efficacy, complications and visual prognosis were evaluated by detailed clinical examination, laboratory tests and treatment observation. RESULTS:There were 101 cases of panuveitis (38.4%), 85 cases of anterior uveitis (32.3%), 75 cases of posterior uveitis (28.5%), and 2 cases of intermediate uveitis (8%). There was a statistically significant difference in (I) visual acuity between the acute and recovery periods (F=13.12, P<0.05); (II) visual acuity between first-time and recurrent patients (F=9.26, P<0.05); (III) visual acuity in the affected and healthy eyes in the total, anterior and posterior uveitis groups (P<0.05); and (IV) the presence of ocular complications. There was also a statistically significant difference in the presence or absence of ocular complications between patients with initial disease and those with a recurrence of disease (F=59.51, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:In all its varying presentations, uveitis has a great impact on visual acuity. A careful clinical history should be taken and specific laboratory tests should be performed in order to improve the diagnosis and determine the etiology, and practitioners should provide appropriate treatment to avoid ocular complications, which can further damage visual acuity.