Epidemiology and Clinical Course of Pediatric Uveitis in a Tertiary Referral Center in Northeastern Iran

Purpose: To describe the distribution, clinical findings, treatment, complications, and visual outcomes of pediatric uveitis at a tertiary referral ophthalmic center. Methods: The medical records of all patients <= 18 years diagnosed with and managed as uveitis from August 2016 to August 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Of the 97 patients, 52.6% were female, and the mean age at the onset was 10.5 +/- 4.6 years (6 months to 18 years). Uveitis cases were predominantly anterior (33 [34%]), chronic (59 [60.8%]), bilateral (63 [64.9%]), and non-infectious (80 [82.5%]). A total of 36.1% (35 patients) of cases were idiopathic, and the most frequent systemic associations were juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), 16 [16.5%]) and Behcet's disease (15 [15.5%]). Most patients (74 [76.3%]) experienced ocular complications, including vasculitis (29 [29.9%]), posterior synechiae (23 [23.7%]), and cataracts (22 [22.7%]). Patients with uveitis of all anatomic locations experienced an improvement in best-corrected visual acuity during the follow-up period (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The most prevalent systemic associations were JIA and Behcet's disease. Ocular Behcet is a common etiology of pediatric uveitis in northeastern Iran. A timely and appropriate treatment could result in satisfactory visual outcomes.

Automated summary

This study retrospectively analyzed the distribution, clinical findings, treatment, complications, and visual outcomes of pediatric uveitis. The most prevalent systemic associations were juvenile idiopathic arthritis and Behcet's disease. Majority of the patients experienced ocular complications, but there was improvement in visual outcomes after follow-up treatment.