The risk assessment of uveitis after COVID‐19 diagnosis: A multicenter population‐based study

Abstract

AbstractReports on uveitis after COVID‐19 have been limited. Our objective was to examine the risk of uveitis among COVID‐19 patients. This was a retrospective cohort study based on the TriNetX platform. The exposure group was patients with positive laboratory test result for SARS‐CoV‐2 and the comparison group was those tested negative for COVID‐19 throughout the study period. The endpoint is the new diagnoses of uveitis. This study composed of 2 105 424 patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 (55.4% female; 62.5% white; mean age at index 40.7 years) and 2 105 424 patients (55.4% female; 62.4% white; mean age at index 40.7 years) who never had COVID‐19. There was significantly increased risk of new diagnosis of uveitis since the first month after diagnosis of COVID‐19 compared with matched controls (HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.03–1.34) up to 24 months (HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.09–1.22). Our findings strengthen those previously raised by case series with a larger and multicenter study. We found that uveitis was significantly associated with COVID‐19 infection. Our findings reiterate the need for careful investigation as well as increased awareness from ophthalmologists in considering the possibility of COVID‐19 in vulnerable patients with new presentation of uveitis.