PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and ophthalmic complications of pediatric uveitis using the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) Service database. DESIGN: Nationwide population-based longitudinal cohort study. METHODS: This study used the NHI database from 2005 to 2021 and included individuals <
18 years of age diagnosed with uveitis on at least three separate visits between 2010-2014, with a five-year wash-out period and a seven-year follow-up period. All uveitis cases were classified as either anterior or non-anterior on the basis of the diagnostic code. The occurrence of ophthalmic complications during the follow-up period, and the systemic and socioeconomic associations between pediatric uveitis and its ophthalmic complications were investigated. We obtained the incidence of total, anterior, and non-anterior pediatric uveitis between 2010-2014
the percentage of ophthalmic complications during the follow-up period
and hazard ratios for ophthalmic complications of anterior and non-anterior uveitis. RESULTS: A total of 9,495 cases of pediatric uveitis (8,734 cases with anterior and 761 with non-anterior uveitis) were identified, with an average annual incidence (per 10,000 children) of total, anterior, and non-anterior uveitis being 2.0, 1.8, and 0.2, respectively. The most common complications were glaucoma or presumed ocular hypertension, macular disease, and amblyopia. Patients with non-anterior uveitis had a significantly higher risk of ophthalmic complications including retinal detachment, cataract, amblyopia, and glaucoma or presumed ocular hypertension than those with anterior uveitis. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide analysis of pediatric uveitis in South Korea revealed an average incidence of 2.0 per 10,000 children, highlighting the higher risks of ophthalmic complications associated with non-anterior uveitis.