Colombian Ocular Inflammatory Diseases Epidemiology Study (COIDES): Prevalence, Incidence, and Sociodemographic Characterization of Uveitis in Colombia, 2015-2020

Purpose: To describe the prevalence, incidence, and sociodemographic characteristics of uveitis in Colombia based on the National Health Registry of Colombia, the Integrated Social Protection Information System database (SISPRO). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using SISPRO. Along with the International Classification of Diseases, we were able to identify cases of general uveitis (GU), anterior (AU), and posterior uveitis (PU) from 2015 to 2019. For 2020, we used a statistical model for spatial data to predict the prevalence/incidence of the diseases and compared it to the data retrieved in SISPRO. Results: The average prevalence of GU was 14.66 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while the average incidence rate of GU during the same period was 13.61 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. In 2020, there was a noticeable decrease in the incidence and prevalence of GU. Similar trends were observed when analyzing the incidence and prevalence of AU and PU separately. Females accounted for most reported cases, and there was a notable shift towards older age groups (over 50 years) for uveitis occurrence in males and females. Regions such as Bogotá, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, and the Andean region had higher numbers of cases and a more significant disease burden. Conclusions: Our study represents Colombia’s first population-based characterization of GU, AU, and PU epidemiology. Our results highlight the importance of understanding disease patterns according to sociodemographic factors intrinsic to distinct geographic locations to design better preventive, diagnostic, and treatment approaches in the Colombian population.