Age-related macular degeneration among uveitis patients

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 — Poster Session III
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	FAES Academic Center	NEI	IMMUNO-3

* FARE Award Winner

Authors

• AR Fox
• CA Cukras
• NP Bhatt
• WR Tucker
• EY Chew
• RB Nussenblatt
• HN Sen

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) among uveitis patients. Methods: Patients with non-infectious uveitis 55 years or older seen at NEI since 2004 were identified using EMR and photographic databases. Fundus images and optical coherence tomography were reviewed, and patients were classified as having large drusen or advanced AMD (geographic atrophy or neovascular AMD) in at least one eye according to The Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group’s definitions. EMR was used to identify immunomodulatory therapy use and the anatomic site of uveitis. Results: 181 patients were identified, and 170 had gradable fundus images. AMD was identified in 4 of the 170 patients, and all cases were in the form of large drusen without advanced AMD. Systemic immunomodulatory therapy was used by 64.7%(110) of uveitis patients for ≥3 months and by 45.3%(77) for ≥1 year. Of the 4 patients with large drusen, 3 had anterior uveitis and 1 posterior/panuveitis. The total prevalence of large drusen was 2.35 per 100 individuals, which is less than the estimated prevalence of large drusen in the US for individuals ≥55 years of age (10.0%,p=0.001). Conclusions: Patients with uveitis appear to be relatively spared from AMD, especially from its advanced forms.

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