Iris Depigmentation in the Prediction of Cytomegalovirus Anterior Uveitis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose We hypothesize that the presence of iris depigmentation is associated with the prediction of cytomegalovirus (CMV) as the etiology of chronic or recurrent anterior uveitis. Methods A prospective cohort study on patients with recurrent or chronic anterior uveitis. Pre-operative data on iris depigmentation and corneal endothelial cell densities were compared between eyes with and without CMV. Results Forty-one eyes of 38 subjects with a mean age of 61.1 ± 11.2 years old were recruited. Seventeen eyes were positive for CMV. A greater proportion of eyes with CMV showed severe or diffuse iris depigmentation than eyes without CMV, and possessed larger corneal endothelial cells (p = .028). When severe iris depigmentation was present with a reduced endothelial cell density, the positive and negative predictive values were raised to 100.0% and 64.9% from 41.5% and 58.5%, respectively. Conclusion Iris depigmentation is a potential clinical biomarker in predicting CMV in chronic or recurrent anterior uveitis.