Is Smoking a Risk Factor in Ocular Behçet Disease?

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between smoking and prognosis of ocular Behçet disease.

MATERIAL/METHODS: Medical records of 202 patients with Behçet uveitis were collected retrospectively. Patients were assigned to two groups according to smoking habits. In group I, 72 patients were current smokers. In group II, 130 were nonsmokers. The localization of uveitis, time to resolution of uveitis, time to recurrences, visual acuities, and presence of cystoid macular edema were compared between groups.

RESULTS

The demographic characteristics were similar in both groups. Smoking was not associated with types of uveitis with OR of 1.01 (95% CI, 0.99-1.04; p = 0.21) for anterior uveitis, 0.96 (95%CI, 0.90-1.02; p = 0.18) for posterior uveitis, and 1.80 (95% CI, 0.75-2.77; p = 0.24) for panuveitis. The average times to inflammation resolution were 48 ± 10.1 days in group I and 51 ± 14 days in group II (p = 0.82). The average times to recurrence were 8.6 ± 5 months for smokers and 9.1 ± 7 months for nonsmokers (p = 0.43). Patients with CME in groups were 18 (25%) and 42 (32.3%), respectively (p = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that smoking does not have a negative effect on the clinical findings and prognosis of uveitis in Behçet disease.