Prevalence and Risk Factors for Ocular Complications in New-Onset Uveitis: A Study From a Tertiary Referral Center in Northern Thailand

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and identify risk factors of ocular complications in patients with uveitis. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed of 340 consecutive patients with a first episode of active uveitis from January 2015 to December 2019. Demographic and clinical data, including ocular complications were analyzed. Results: The mean age of the cohort was 47 years. Among them, 75 patients were HIV-positive (74% male), and 265 were HIVnegative (53% male). An Infectious etiology was identified in 52% of cases. Ocular complications, developed in 151 patients (44%), with their type strongly correlate to the anatomical location of uveitis. Multivariate analysis revealed chronic inflammation (risk ratio [RR]=18.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.1-58.8), recurrent inflammation (RR=20.4; 95%; CI 6.5-64.3), and poor visual acuity (VA) at presentation (RR=3.6; 95% CI 1.4-9.2) as significant risk factors for complications. Conclusion: Nearly half of the patients with uveitis developed ocular complications, highlighting the importance of identifying risk factors. Understanding the relationship between the location of inflammation and specific complication patterns is essential for early detection and targeted prevention strategies.