UVEITIS PRESENTING DE-NOVO IN THE ELDERLY

Seventy-one consecutive patients presenting with their first episode o f uveitis at the age of 60 or more years, were studied retrospectively . The majority were found to have idiopathic uveitides on investigatio n. In those who did have associated systemic disease, the commonest fi nding was non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or an autoimmune dis ease. There were no cases of ocular lymphoma in this series. We conclu de that, contrary to some previous reports, idiopathic uveitis may occ ur in the elderly, and that the relative frequencies of acute anterior , chronic anterior, intermediate and posterior uveitides are similar t o those seen in young patients.