CHARACTERISTICS OF ENDOGENOUS UVEITIS IN HOKKAIDO, JAPAN

Background: Etiological characteristics of endogenous uveitis vary amo ng areas and races around the world. There are few epidemiological rep orts on the etiology of uveitis from areas within Asia. We report stat istical data on uveitis in Japan. Methods: We reviewed all of the reco rds of patients with endogenous uveitis who visited the Uveitis Survey Clinic of Hokkaido University Hospital in 1981 and 1994 and extended the survey to include new patients with uveitis seen over the 3-year p eriod from 1992 to 1994. Results: Behcet's disease, sarcoidosis and Vo gt-Koyanagi-Harada disease were the three most frequently diagnosed di seases in both 1981 and 1994. The proportion of patients with unclassi fied uveitis decreased from 38% to 30% during the 13-year period from 1981 to 1994 as a result of the establishment of new disease categorie s during this time. Notable additions included human T-lymphotropic vi rus type 1-associated uveitis and tubuloinerstitial nephritis and uvei tis syndrome. Sarcoidosis is now the most frequent endogenous uveitis in our clinic. Conclusion: Not only does the etiological basis of uvei tis vary among ethnic groups but advances in clinical and basic resear ch have changed the diagnostic approach to uveitis, altering the etiol ogical profile over time.