Patterns of Uveitis among Patients Attending Jimma University Department of Ophthalmology, Jimma, Ethiopia.

Introduction : Uveitis is an important cause of blindness and ocular morbidity in the world. The patterns of uveitis have not been well characterized in sub-Saharan Africa. Purpose : To describe the characteristics of uveitis among patients presenting to Jimma University Department of Ophthalmology (JUDO) from July 2013 to December 2014. Methods : This hospital-based prospective cross-sectional study included all new uveitis patients visiting JUDO outpatient department during the study period. Results : Among 98 patients diagnosed with uveitis, anterior uveitis was found in 74.5% of patients. Majority of the patients, 83.7%, had unilateral uveitis. A uveitis syndrome was identified in 22.5% of cases; of these 15 (68.2%) were infectious. Herpes simplex uveitis was the commonest infectious cause (53.3%) while Toxoplasmosis was the most common cause of posterior uveitis (60%). Conclusion : Anterior uveitis was the most common pattern found among uveitis patients. Herpes simplex and toxoplasmic chorioretinitis were the most common-identified infectious causes.