Clinical and Epidemiological Profiles of Retinal Vasculitis in Northern Taiwan.

PURPOSE: To investigate the epidemiological and clinical profiles in retinal vasculitis in an Asian cohort.

METHODS

A 5-year retrospective study of 487 uveitis patients in a tertiary referral center at northern Taiwan.

RESULTS

Overall, 18.5% of the cases were associated with retinal vasculitis (RV). Sarcoidosis and cytomegalovirus retinitis were two leading diagnoses. Cases with RV were younger (mean: 39.7 years), less unilateral (50%), and had more chorioretinal involvement (95.5%). Definite diagnosis was reached in 86.7% of RV cases, of which 38.5% had infectious uveitis. While sole arteritis was presented in 8.9% of cases, 63.3% showed phlebitis, and 27.8% involved both. Three distinctive patterns were associated with a higher likelihood of infection: nodular sheathing, continuous perivascular sheathing (OR 4.79), and continuous fluorescein leakage (OR 4.11).

CONCLUSION

The presence of RV, especially arteritis, is highly suggestive of identifiable etiology. Distinctive clinical patterns help differentiation of infectious versus noninfectious causes.