Corneal Endothelial Transplantation in Uveitis: Incidence and Risk Factors

PURPOSE: To estimate the incidence of corneal endothelial transplantation and identify risk factors among patients with non-infectious ocular inflammation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Adult patients attending United States tertiary uveitis care facilities diagnosed with non-infectious ocular inflammation were identified from the Systemic Immunosuppressive Therapy for Eye Diseases Cohort Study. Time-to-event analysis was used to estimate the incidence of corneal endothelial transplantation (CET), including penetrating keratoplasty, Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty, or Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty procedures. The incidence of CET was calculated; potential risk factors for CET were also evaluated using Cox regression, accounting for correlation between eyes of the same patient. RESULTS: Overall, 14,264 eyes met eligibility criteria for this analysis with a median follow-up 1.8 eye-years. The Kaplan-Meier estimated incidence of CET within 10 years was 1.10% (95% CI, 0.68%–1.53%). Risk factors for CET included age >60 years vs.