Patterns of Uveitis at Two University-Based Referral Centres in Cape Town, South Africa.
Wilna RautenbachJonel SteffenDerrick P SmitKarin LecuonaTonya Marianne EsterhuizenPublished in: Ocular immunology and inflammation (2017)
Purpose: To analyze the pattern of uveitis at two tertiary hospitals in South Africa which has a high prevalence of HIV, TB and syphilis. Methods: Data of 198 patients were obtained retrospectively between August 2014 and August 2016, including patient demographics, clinical examination, special investigations and final diagnosis. Results: Infectious uveitis was the most common aetiological category (47%), followed by idiopathic (34.8%) and non-infectious (18.2%). Syphilis was the most common identifiable cause (16.2%). Other important causes were toxoplasmosis, herpes viruses, tuberculosis and HLA-B27. HIV positive patients, who constituted 40% of the study population, were more likely to present with a posterior or panuveitis (relative risk 1.50, 95% CI 1.19-1.89) and more likely to have an infectious cause compared to HIV negative patients (relative risk 2.47, 95% CI 1.82-3.35). Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of HIV testing and investigations for infectious causes of uveitis, especially syphilis, in this population.
Keyphrases
- hiv positive
- men who have sex with men
- hiv testing
- south africa
- human immunodeficiency virus
- antiretroviral therapy
- end stage renal disease
- juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- newly diagnosed
- ejection fraction
- healthcare
- ankylosing spondylitis
- chronic kidney disease
- primary care
- emergency department
- hiv infected
- hiv aids
- hepatitis c virus
- prognostic factors
- machine learning
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- patient reported outcomes
- rheumatoid arthritis
- electronic health record
- big data
- data analysis