Introduction:

Uveitis is a major cause of vision loss worldwide. It is essential for medical personnel to recognize early clinical symptoms and signs of uveal tract inflammation, for a timely referral to an ophtalmologist for an early assessment, which is of crucial importance in the evolution and prognosis of the disease. There ir no published data about uveitis in Costa Rica and the number of patients with this condition is not knwon either.

Objective:

To describe the clinical characteristics of patients with uveitis referred to the Uveitis Clinic, Hospital Mexico, Costa Rica, between 2010 and 2013.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of data obtained from 58 patients referred between January 1, 2010 to September 30, 2013 to the Uveitis Clinic, Hospital Mexico, Costa Rica.

Results:

Young adults were the largest group with uveitis with a mean age of onset at 42.6 years. A mean of 14 new cases per year were referred to the clinic. The male/female ratio for uveitis was of 1:1.32. Anterior uveitis was the most frequent condition, being diagnosed in 63.8% of cases. Most of the cases had an idiopatic ethiology.

Conclusion:

This research provides a perspective on the most frequent types of uveitis in Costa Rica. Both, the small size of the sample analyzed and the retrospective nature of the study are somewhat limitation in its epidemiological value.

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