Contemporaneous Risk Factors for Visual Acuity in Non-Infectious Uveitis

Introduction We evaluated the associations of clinical and demographic characteristics with visual acuity (VA) with over 5 years in a subspecialty noninfectious uveitis population. Methods Retrospective data from 5,530 noninfectious uveitis patients were abstracted by expert reviewers, and contemporaneous associations of VA with demographic and clinical factors were modeled. Results Patients were a median of 41 years old, 65% female, and 73% white. Eyes diagnosed >= 5 years prior to cohort entry had worse VA (-1.2 lines) than those diagnosed <6 months prior, and eyes with cataract surgery performed prior to entry had worse VA (-5.9 lines) than those performed during follow-up. Vitreous haze (-4.2 lines for 3+ vs quiet), hypotony (-2.5 lines for <= 5 mm Hg vs 6-23 mm Hg), and CNV (-1.8 lines) all were strongly associated with reduced VA. Conclusion Factors associated with reduced VA included well-known structural complications, and lack of subspecialty care during cataract surgery.