Destructive inflammatory diseases of the eye such as uveitis are the third leading cause of preventable blindness in developed countries

Uveitis has an estimated prevalence of about 38 cases per 100,000 population, and an incidence of 15 cases per 100,000 population.  2,359,242 people worldwide are estimated to have the disorder. 

Based on the year 2000 census, 12,275 people in Canada are estimated to have the disorder.  4,850 new cases are diagnosed each year.  Recent (2001) epidemiological studies in the United States suggest that these figures may be underestimated by as much as 4 to 5 fold.

Historically, uveitis was considered a single disease entity; however, we now know that uveitis can be caused by autoimmune disorders, infections, malignancy, and exposure to toxins.

There are approximately 85 causes of uveitis, although despite huge advances in current diagnostic techniques, 35-50% remain in the idiopathic category or unknown cause.

Because the treatment and prognosis of various uveitic entities varies greatly, accurate diagnosis is imperative.

The mean age of onset is 30.7 years (+/-15) and of that 5% to 10% of the cases occur in children under the age of 16. Uveitis in children blinds a larger percentage of those affected than in adults.

Despite significant advances in research and therapeutics, the prevalence of blindness secondary to uveitis has not been reduced in the past thirty years; it remains the third leading cause of preventable blindness in the world. 10% will go blind if current trends hold.

The sight-threatening complications of uveitis include glaucoma, damage to the retina, and macular edema.

Uveitis in children: 5% to 10% of the cases of uveitis occur in children under the age of 16. But uveitis in children blinds a larger percentage of those affected than in adults, since 40% of the cases occurring in children are posterior uveitis, compared to the 20% of posterior uveitic cases in the adult uveitis population. There are, at any one time, approximately 11,000 cases of Pediatric Uveitis in the United States, with 4,300 new cases occurring each year. The sight-threatening complications of uveitis include glaucoma, damage to the retina, and macular edema.