Patterns of Uveitis in a University-based Tertiary Referral Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To investigate the referral patterns and diagnosis of uveitis in a university-based tertiary referral center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 642 patients (1220 eyes). Results: There were 295 (46%) males and 347 (54%) female patients, with a mean age of 36.4 +/- 16.1 years at presentation. Panuveitis was most common (47.1%), followed by anterior uveitis (36.8%), posterior uveitis (10.7%), and intermediate uveitis (5.4%). Nongranulomatous (85.2%) and noninfectious (69.3%) were the most frequent types of uveitis. The most identifiable specific diagnoses were Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease (19.6%), presumed tuberculous uveitis (PTU) (17.8%), Behcet disease (BD) (8.4%), and toxoplasmosis (6.9%). After a mean follow-up period of 31.3 +/- 31.5 months, 73.5% of the eyes achieved visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Conclusions: The most common anatomic diagnosis was panuveitis. VKH disease, PTU, BD, and toxoplasmosis are the most frequently diagnosed entities.