Changing trends in idiopathic retinal vasculitis in a tertiary eye care centre of Nepal over a ten-year period.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To study the demographic profile, clinical presentations, management and visual outcome of retinal vasculitis in a tertiary eye care center of Nepal

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A retrospective, record based study of retinal vasculitis cases in the retina clinic of a tertiary care centre in Nepal from January 2009 to January 2011 was carried out. Results of the study were compared to those from the study conducted in a similar set- up between 1998 and 2000.

RESULTS:

Sixty-nine eyes of 51 affected patients were evaluated in the study. The male/female ratio was 2.64:1 vs 19:1 a decade ago (p=0.0027). The mean age of the patients was 33.53 ± 12.29 years in the present study. Bilateral ocular involvement was present in 18 cases (35.3%) vs 56.14% in the past decade (p=0044).The common symptoms were dimness of vision (29.4%), floaters (25.5 %) and flashes of light (3.92%). Seventy-one eyes (69.6%) had the best corrected visual acuity of 6/18 or better. Four eyes (3.92 %) had no light perception. Vascular sheathing was the most common finding (32.35%), followed by vitritis (30.39%). Corticosteroids were primarily used to manage retinal vasculitis (39.21%). No association of retinal vasculitis with tuberculosis was found.

CONCLUSION:

The demographic pattern and clinical presentation of idiopathic retinal vasculitis has changed over a decade period in Nepal.

• Authors: R Kharel Sitaula, S Aryal, S N Joshi, J K Shrestha
• Journal: Nepalese journal of ophthalmology : a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal of the Nepal Ophthalmic Society : NEPJOPH (Nepal J Ophthalmol) 2012 Jul-Dec Vol. 4 Issue 2 Pg. 256-62 ISSN: 2072-6805 [Print] Nepal
• PMID: 22864031 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © NEPjOPH.

Chemical References

• Glucocorticoids

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Disease Management
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Glucocorticoids (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Morbidity (trends)
• Nepal (epidemiology)
• Retina (pathology)
• Retinal Vasculitis (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Retrospective Studies
• Tertiary Care Centers (statistics & numerical data)
• Time Factors
• Visual Acuity
• Young Adult