Clinical Patterns and Causes of Posterior Uveitis in a Tertiary Referral Eye Center in Northwest of Iran

Objectives: Posterior uveitis is the second most common anatomical type of uveitis after the anterior in Iran. Its incidence and etiologies are not identical in populations of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds. In this study, the researchers intended to evaluate the causes of posterior uveitis in a referral center in northwest of Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional retrospective study, clinical records of 120 patients with posterior uveitis referred to the Uveitis Clinic at the Nikookari hospital (during 2003 to 2017) were reviewed. Demographic findings, etiologies, clinical courses, associated systemic diseases, and ocular complications were analyzed. Results: Infectious etiologies were found in 69.2% of the patients with posterior uveitis. The most common causes of posterior uveitis were toxoplasmosis (59.2%) followed by idiopathic (10.8%) and Behçet’s (8.3%) diseases. Macular scar (5.83%) and macular edema (15%) were the most widespread complications in the patients. Posterior uveitis found in 20.8% of the patients was associated with a systemic disease. In addition, Behçet’s (8.3%) and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harad (VKH) (4.2%) diseases were among the most prevalent concomitant diseases. Non-granulomatous uveitis was observed in 84.2% of cases. The course of the disease was acute in 83.33% of the patients. Conclusions: The results of this study revealed that infectious etiologies were the most common causes of posterior uveitis. Toxoplasmosis and Behcet’s disease were the most frequent cases. The most common complication of posterior uveitis was macular scar. It seems that identifying and analyzing causes of the posterior uveitis and its complications are crucial for the development of policies and treatment guidelines.