Clinical and Epidemiological Profiles of Retinal Vasculitis in Northern Taiwan

Abstract

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.