Purpose: To describe the epidemiology, clinical features, and classification of uveitis in a large cohort of Colombian patients. Methods: Data were collected from seven ophthalmological referral centers in the four main cities in Colombia. The study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of uveitis from January 2010 to December 2022. Information on demographics, ophthalmic examination findings, uveitis classification, and etiology was recorded. Results: The study reviewed 3,404 clinical records of patients with uveitis. The mean age at diagnosis was 41.1 (SD 19.0) years, and 54.2% of the patients were female. Overall, 1,341(39.4%) were infectious, 626 (18.4%) non-infectious, and four masquerade syndromes (0.1%). The most common types of uveitis were unilateral (66.7%), acute (48.3%), and non-granulomatous (83%). Anterior uveitis was the most common anatomical localization (49.5%), followed by posterior uveitis (22.9%), panuveitis (22.3%), and intermediate uveitis (5.2%). A diagnosis was established in 3,252 (95.5%) cases; idiopathic was the most common cause (27.7%), followed by toxoplasmosis (25.3%) and virus-associated uveitis (6.4%). The age group between 30 and 50 exhibited the highest frequency of uveitis. Conclusion: This multicenter study comprehensively describes uveitis characteristics in Colombian patients, providing valuable insights into its demographic and clinical features. The study findings emphasize the need to continue updating the changing patterns of uveitis to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for diseases associated with intraocular inflammation.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic performance of the InflammaDry test in diagnosing dry eye disease (DED) using different diagnostic criteria and across varying severities. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 1,515 patients. Subjects were categorized into three groups: Group (1) DED based on Dry Eye Workshop-II (DEWS-II): Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) ≥ 13 and at least one abnormal clinical sign (non-invasive tear break-up time [NIBUT] < 10 s, osmolarity > 308 mOsm/L, or corneal/conjunctival staining). Group (2) DED based on criteria used in prior clinical trials: OSDI > 13, Schirmer < 10 mm in 5 min, NIBUT < 10 s, and keratoconjunctival staining. Group (3) Healthy controls: OSDI ≤ 7, NIBUT ≥ 10 s, Schirmer ≥ 10 mm, and no keratoconjunctival staining. DED severity was classified using the ODISSEY European Consensus Group’s definitions into severe and non-severe. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated for both criteria. Results: 1,363 patients were included in Group 1, 401 in Group 2, and 152 in Group 3. Sensitivity was 81.30% in the population diagnosed using previous clinical trial criteria but decreased to 69.99% when applying the DEWS-II criteria. Specificity was 38.16% in both groups, with 409/467 false negatives respectively. Conclusion: InflammaDry shows good sensitivity in detecting DED in highly symptomatic cases with multiple clinical signs, but its performance decreases when broader criteria like DEWS-II are used. While valuable for detecting inflammation, routine use for DED diagnosis may lead to false negatives, especially in milder cases.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus (HZO) and describe the sociodemographic disease distribution by age, sex, and region in Colombia using National Health Registry data between January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. We conducted a cross-sectional study using the Integrated Social Protection Information System database from the Colombian Ministry of Health, the unique official database in the country. We used the specific code of the International Classification of Diseases for HZO (B02.3) from 2015-2019 to estimate the prevalence and the demographic status of the disease in Colombia. The average prevalence was 0.99 in 100,000 inhabitants. Females represented 54.44% of the cases from 2,378 included patients. The distribution by age has a continual increase from the quinquennial group of 55 years. The geographic analysis shows a higher disease burden in the Andean region, followed by the Caribbean and Pacific regions. This is the first study that determines the HZO epidemiological characteristics based on a National Health database in our region. We found an age distribution similar to previous studies and suggest that higher altitudes correlate with a higher burden of the disease.

Objective: To review the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for developing anti-drug antibodies (AAA) in patients with non-infectious uveitis (NIU) treated with Adalimumab (ADA). Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, Virtual Health Library, Cochrane, and medRxiv. Meta-analysis was performed using random effects. Results: Nine out of 2,373 studies were included. The prevalence of AAA in NIU patients treated with ADA was 9% (95% CI: 2% to 37%, I-2 = 95% with a P<0.01), it was significantly higher in real-life scenarios (observational studies) than in clinical trials. The pooled incidence at 12 months was 27% (CI 95% 16%-42% I-2 = 0%). Several factors have been associated with AAA generation in NIU patients, including the non-use of concomitant immunosuppressants, presence of autoimmune systemic disease, female gender, etc. Conclusion: This study showed that AAA prevalence is higher in real-life scenarios compared to clinical trials. Further research is needed to elucidate the factors that trigger AAA generation in NIU patients.

To describe the prevalence, incidence, and sociodemographic characteristics of uveitis in Colombia based on the National Health Registry of Colombia, the Integrated Social Protection Information System database (SISPRO). We performed a cross-sectional study using SISPRO. Along with the International Classification of Diseases, we were able to identify cases of general uveitis (GU), anterior (AU), and posterior uveitis (PU) from 2015 to 2019. For 2020, we used a statistical model for spatial data to predict the prevalence/incidence of the diseases and compared it to the data retrieved in SISPRO. The average prevalence of GU was 14.66 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while the average incidence rate of GU during the same period was 13.61 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. In 2020, there was a noticeable decrease in the incidence and prevalence of GU. Similar trends were observed when analyzing the incidence and prevalence of AU and PU separately. Females accounted for most reported cases, and there was a notable shift towards older age groups (over 50 years) for uveitis occurrence in males and females. Regions such as Bogotá, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, and the Andean region had higher numbers of cases and a more significant disease burden. Our study represents Colombia's first population-based characterization of GU, AU, and PU epidemiology. Our results highlight the importance of understanding disease patterns according to sociodemographic factors intrinsic to distinct geographic locations to design better preventive, diagnostic, and treatment approaches in the Colombian population.

Purpose: To establish the effects of anterior chamber inflammation (ACI) on the corneal endothelium parameters and central corneal thickness (CCT). Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review using medical databases (PubMed, EMBASE, VHL, and medRxiv) on March 8, 2023, for studies that included patients with ACI who had undergone specular microscopy or pachymetry. Case series with >10 patients, cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies were included. The risk of bias was assessed using CLARITY tools and validated scales such as those by Hassan Murad et al. and Hoy et al. A narrative synthesis and a quantitative standardized mean difference meta-analysis, I² heterogeneity assessment, and publication bias tests were conducted. The study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023420148) and approved by the Universidad del Rosario ethical committee (DVO005 2277- CV1712). Results: Thirty-four studies, encompassing 1,388 eyes with ACI, were included. Compared with healthy controls, overall, ACI eyes show significant mean differences in endothelial parameters (endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagonality (HEX)) (P < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis compared with healthy controls, both active and chronic-recurrent ACI demonstrated a reduced ECD. An increased CV was observed in active, inactive, and chronic-recurrent ACI. Lower HEX was evident in inactive, acute, and chronic-recurrent ACI, while both active and acute ACI exhibited high CCT. Conclusion: ACI leads to significant alterations in endothelial parameters and CCT. The primary contributors to these changes are increased IOP, uveitis duration, and intraocular surgeries. Further studies are needed to explore the impact of ACI etiology on the endothelium, potential biases in IOP measurements during acute ACI episodes, and the potential necessity for monitoring the endothelial parameters and CCT in patients with chronic ACI.