Epidemiology of Uveitis from a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Bulgaria over a 13-Year Period
Vesela Todorova Mitkova-Hristova,
Marin Anguelov Atanassov,
Yordanka Mincheva Basheva-Kraeva,
Velichka Zaharieva Popova,
Krasimir Iliev Kraev,
Steffanie Hristova Hristova
Affiliations
Vesela Todorova Mitkova-Hristova
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Clinic of Ophthalmology, University General Hospital “St. George”, 4001 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Marin Anguelov Atanassov
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Clinic of Ophthalmology, University General Hospital “St. George”, 4001 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Yordanka Mincheva Basheva-Kraeva
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Clinic of Ophthalmology, University General Hospital “St. George”, 4001 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Velichka Zaharieva Popova
Department of Propedeutic of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Clinic of Rheumatology, University General Hospital “Kaspela”, 4001 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Krasimir Iliev Kraev
Department of Propedeutic of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Clinic of Rheumatology, University General Hospital “St. George”, 4001 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Steffanie Hristova Hristova
Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the etiology of uveitis and to examine its relationship with anatomical localization, age, and gender. Methods: A prospective study on patients with uveitis was conducted over a 13-year period at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital “St. George”, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Each case was diagnosed based on a comprehensive eye examination, a review of the systems, and additional laboratory and specialized examination methods. Patients were categorized into four groups based on the location of inflammation: anterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis, and panuveitis. Results: A total of 606 patients with uveitis were included in the study. The mean age of the study group was 46.5 ± 18.6 years. There was no statistically significant difference in gender distribution (p = 0.329). Anterior uveitis was the most dominant anatomical localization (p p p Conclusions: We found that anterior uveitis was the most common anatomical localization, followed by intermediate uveitis. The disease is rare in childhood, while in elderly patients, there is an increase in idiopathic and viral uveitis cases. Our results provide valuable information about the most common etiologies of uveitis among the Bulgarian population.
