Pattern of Uveitis in a Tertiary Care Eye Hospital Setting in Pakistan: A Comprehensive Analysis.

Purpose: To determine the patterns of uveitis evident in patients presenting at the Uveitis Department of a tertiary care eye hospital located in Karachi, Pakistan.

Study design: Prospective cross-sectional study.

Location and duration of study: This study was conducted at Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) Tertiary Teaching Eye Hospital-Korangi, Karachi, Pakistan from August 2020 to July 2023.

Methodology: This prospective study was conducted at the Uveitis Department of LRBT Tertiary Teaching Eye Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from August 2020 to July 2023, following ethical review board approval. Patients underwent detailed history-taking, clinical examination by a uveitis specialist. Informed written consent was obtained. Demographic data were recorded, excluding post-opendophthalmitis cases. Laboratory tests and ocular investigations were performed when necessary.

Result: In this study, 5791 patients were analysed, with a predominance of females (55.4%) and a mean age of 38.22 ± 13.06 years. Bilateral eye involvement was found in 60.4% of cases, and the most common uveitis types were anterior (35.1%) and pan-uveitis (28.9%). Non-infectious uveitis (72.14%) was more prevalent, with idiopathic uveitis being the most common cause (33.2%). Significant associations were found between anatomical locations of uveitis and various clinical characteristics (age, gender, eye involvement and infection status). For instance, anterior uveitis was more commonly associated with unilateral eye involvement, while bilateral eye involvement was more frequent in cases of pan-uveitis and posterior uveitis. Additionally, infectious aetiology was more prevalent in pan-uveitis and posterior uveitis (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The primary aim of this study was to determine the patterns of uveitis cases observed at a tertiary eye care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. The predominant aetiology identified was idiopathic uveitis. Nevertheless, it is essential to recognize that the determined prevalence may be subject to the inherent limitations of this study, notably pertaining to financial barriers and limited availability of diagnostic modalities.