[Epidemiologic study of pediatric uveitis: a series of 49 cases].

PURPOSE

To analyze the patterns of pediatric uveitis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective study of 49 children with uveitis, examined from January 2000 to December 2009. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination and an etiological search; follow-up varied from six months to seven years.

RESULTS

The mean age at onset of uveitis was 11.6 years (range, 5-14 years). The sex ratio was 1.04. Uveitis was bilateral in 59.20% of the patients, anterior in 22 cases (44.9%), intermediate in seven cases (14.3%), posterior in four cases (8.1%), and panuveitis was found in 16 cases (32.7%). In 57.2% of the patients, uveitis was idiopathic. Infectious uveitis was responsible for 14.1% of the cases, the most common of which were toxoplasmosis and toxocarosis. Systemic associations were found in 22.5%, with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in 6.2%. A specific ocular entity was responsible for 6.2% of the cases. Ocular complications occurred in 65.3% of the affected eyes, the most common being cataract (24.5%) and cystoid macular edema (20.5%). The final visual acuity was less than 20/200 in 18%.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric uveitis is rare but may cause visual loss. In our study, the cause of uveitis in childhood remains most often undiagnosed. Toxoplasmosis and toxocarosis are the most frequent infectious causes. Cataract was the most frequent complication. A strict ophthalmological follow-up is mandatory to improve the prognosis.