Aims To evaluate the long-term risk of permanent vision loss in subjects with anterior uveitis.

Methods Retrospective study of subjects attending uveitis clinic at Auckland District Health Board and Moorfields Eye Hospital between 2008 and 2018. Main outcome measures were: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA); moderate vision loss (MVL ≤20/50); and severe vision loss (SVL ≤20/200).

Results 2526 eyes of 1814 subjects were included with a mean follow-up of 6.8 years (17 235.4 eye-years of follow-up). MVL occurred in 240 eyes (9.5%) during the follow-up period, of which 97 (3.8%) had permanent MVL due to uveitis. The incidence of permanent MVL due to uveitis was 0.006 per eye-year with a cumulative risk at 10 years of 6.6% (5.2%–8.4%). The most common cause of permanent MVL due to uveitis was uveitic glaucoma (31.3%), followed by cystoid macular oedema (27.1%) and corneal scar (21.9%). SVL occurred in 80 eyes (3.2%) during the follow-up period, of which 39 (1.5%) had permanent SVL due to uveitis. The incidence of permanent SVL due to uveitis was 0.002 per eye-year with a cumulative risk at 10 years of 2.6% (1.8%–3.7%). Multivariate analysis showed older age at presentation, chronic anterior uveitis (CAU), infectious aetiology and poor presenting BCVA were all risk factors for permanent MVL due to uveitis.

Conclusions Although vision loss is an uncommon complication in anterior uveitis, the risk is greatest in those with CAU, infectious aetiology and poor presenting BCVA. Uveitic glaucoma is the most common cause of vision loss.