Anterior uveitis and its relation to stress

Background/aims-Idiopathic recurrent acute anterior uveitis (RAAU) is a com mon reason for attendance at ophthalmic casualty departments. Patients who suffer with this condition may have multiple recurrent episodes which are o ften debilitating and necessitate time off work. If recurrences are identif ied early and treatment initiated rapidly, the inflammation can be minimise d and settles quickly on topical treatment with a speedy functional recover y by the patient. It has been our clinical impression that some patients wi th RAAU relate recurrences of inflammation to psychological factors. Theref ore stress could be a trigger factor for recurrence, and at such times, pat ients should be alert to the early signs of uveitis and seek prompt examina tion by an ophthalmologist. This study tests the hypothesis that stressful life events are associated with the onset of RAAU. Methods-The number of stressful life events in patients presenting to the c asualty department with RAAU in the month immediately preceding symptom ons et was compared with a control group of patients with other ocular problems taken from the casualty department using the Holmes and Rahe scale and the Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory. Results-35 patients with RAAU did not report a higher number of stressful l ife events or higher levels of anxiety compared with 29 controls in this st udy on both Holmes and Rahe scale and Spielberger state-trait anxiety inven tory. Scores for both groups were comparable with those published for norma l adults of the same age and sex. Conclusion-Stress was not shown in this study to be involved in triggering the recurrence of idiopathic acute anterior uveitis.