EXTENDED REPORT

Quality of life and visual function in patients with intermediate uveitis

C C Murphy¹, E H Hughes¹, N A Frost² and A D Dick¹

¹ Division of Ophthalmology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
² Department of Ophthalmology, Torbay General Hospital, Torquay, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor Andrew Dick
Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Eye Hospital, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol BS1 2LX, UK; a.dick{at}bristol.ac.uk

Aims: To assess visual function, vision related quality of life (VR-QOL), and general health related quality of life (HR-QOL) in intermediate uveitis (IU).

Methods: VR-QOL and HR-QOL were evaluated in 42 patients with IU using the VCM1 and SF-36 questionnaires, respectively. LogMAR visual acuity (VA), Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity (CS), Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue colour vision (CV), and Estermann visual field (VF) were recorded monocularly and binocularly.

Results: Median (interquartile range) visual acuity (VA) and CS of 72 affected eyes were 0.1 (0.015–0.3) and 1.55 (1.35–1.65), respectively. 9.5% of patients had a VCM1 score of more than 2.0, indicating "more than a little" concern over vision. Worse eye VA (p = 0.045) and CS (p = 0.042) were predictive of a VCM1 score of more than 2.0 independently of age, sex, uveitis duration, laterality and activity, systemic uveitis therapy, and medical co-morbidity. The physical and mental component summary scores of the SF-36 were significantly worse in those who reported significant impairment of vision on the VCM1 than those who did not.

Conclusions: The majority of patients with IU maintain good visual function and quality of life. VR-QOL impairment in IU correlates with vision in the worse eye and is associated with impaired HR-QOL.

Abbreviations: BIO score, binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy score; CS, contrast sensitivity; CV, colour vision; HR-QOL, health related quality of life; IU, intermediate uveitis; MCS, mental component summary score; PCS, physical component summary score; SF-36 questionnaire, short form 36 questionnaire; VA, visual acuity; VF, visual field; VR-QOL, vision related quality of life

Keywords: intermediate uveitis; visual function; quality of life; VCM1; SF-36

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