BACKGROUND: A significant increase in the number of episodes of acute anterior uveitis was found in December for two consecutive years at a community-based ophthalmology practice. PURPOSE: To evaluate the monthly variation in episodes of acute anterior uveitis (AAU). METHODS: The charts of all patients with AAU in a practice within a community-based multispecialty ophthalmology group in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were reviewed. Seventy-seven patients with acute, self limited, nontraumatic, unilateral, nongranulomatous anterior uveitis over a two-year period were identified. RESULTS: Ninety-four episodes of AAU occurred in 77 patients (42 men, 35 women). The median number of episodes of AAU was three episodes per month (range: 0-14 episodes/month). An increased number of episodes was found in December of both years (11 in December 1996 [p < 0.01] and 14 in December 1997 [p < 0.003]). Smaller clusters of AAU were seen in other months, but did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a seasonal variation in the number of episodes of AAU suggests that environmental factors are important. A search for such factors that increase the risk of AAU during selected periods may be useful for a better understanding of disease pathogenesis.
BACKGROUND: A significant increase in the number of episodes of acute anterior uveitis was found in December for two consecutive years at a community-based ophthalmology practice. PURPOSE: To evaluate the monthly variation in episodes of acute anterior uveitis (AAU). METHODS: The charts of all patients with AAU in a practice within a community-based multispecialty ophthalmology group in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were reviewed. Seventy-seven patients with acute, self limited, nontraumatic, unilateral, nongranulomatous anterior uveitis over a two-year period were identified. RESULTS: Ninety-four episodes of AAU occurred in 77 patients (42 men, 35 women). The median number of episodes of AAU was three episodes per month (range: 0-14 episodes/month). An increased number of episodes was found in December of both years (11 in December 1996 [p < 0.01] and 14 in December 1997 [p < 0.003]). Smaller clusters of AAU were seen in other months, but did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a seasonal variation in the number of episodes of AAU suggests that environmental factors are important. A search for such factors that increase the risk of AAU during selected periods may be useful for a better understanding of disease pathogenesis.
Authors: Ralph D Levinson; Tammy M Martin; Lihui Luo; Elham Ashouri; James T Rosenbaum; Justine R Smith; Carrie R Austin; Joseph R Lutt; Raja Rajalingam Journal: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci Date: 2009-10-22 Impact factor: 4.799