Prevalence and incidence rates and treatment patterns of non-infectious uveitis in Japan: real-world data using a claims database

Purpose To estimate the nationwide, longitudinal prevalence and incidence rates and assess treatment patterns of non-infectious uveitis (NIU) in Japan. Study design A retrospective study. Methods Health insurance claims’ data of patients with NIU were extracted from the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC) database and analyzed descriptively (data extraction period, January 2011 to May 2017). Behçet’s disease (BD), Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease, and sarcoidosis were selected as the primary diseases of NIU. Results From 2011 to 2016, the mean and median age of patients increased. Most (> 90%) patients were categorized as “undifferentiated NIU” (NIU without specific primary disease information after excluding BD-, VKH disease-, and sarcoidosis-associated NIU). Over 60% of patients with NIU were treated at non-hospital clinics, while the rest were treated at university, public, or other hospitals. The estimated prevalence rate of NIU was 386.5 per 100,000 persons (95% confidence interval [CI], 374.5–398.6) in 2011 and 439.3 per 100,000 persons (95% CI, 432.3–446.3) in 2016; the estimated incidence rate was 189.7 per 100,000 persons (95% CI, 181.2–198.5) in 2012 and 207.8 per 100,000 persons (95% CI, 202.2–213.5) in 2016. Most patients’ prescribed uveitis drugs were ophthalmic drops over the first 6 months after patient presentation and entry into the JMDC database, followed by systemic corticosteroids. Conclusion The estimated prevalence of NIU in Japan in recent years was approximately 400 with incidence of 200 per 100,000 persons.