Uveitis Cases Referred to Internal Medicine: Clinical, Etiological and Therapeutic Characteristics in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract

Introduction: Uveitis represents a clinical entity at the intersection of ophthalmology and internal medicine. Due to its highly heterogeneous presentation and wide range of etiologies, it poses a real diagnostic challenge. The objective of this study was to examine cases of uveitis referred to internal medicine departments in the city of Ouagadougou. Patients and Methods : This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from November 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. The source population consisted of patients referred to internal medicine for diagnostic and/or therapeutic management of uveitis in the Yalgado Ouedraogo and Bogodogo teaching hospitals in the city of Ouagadougou. An exhaustive census was conducted. Data analysis was performed using EPI Info software. Results: A total of 31 patients were included during the study period. The average age of the patients was 37 years ± 15.5 years with a female predominance of 58.1% and a sex ratio of 0.72. The most common anatomoclinical classifications of uveitis were panuveitis and anterior uveitis, accounting for 38.7% and 25.8% of cases, respectively. For the etiological diagnosis, ocular toxoplasmosis was identified in 58.1% of cases, the etiology was undetermined in 38.7% of patients, and syphilis was identified in 3.2% of cases. In terms of treatment, systemic corticosteroid therapy and antibiotic therapy were administered to 61.3% of patients in our study population. Conclusion: Uveitis poses a diagnostic challenge for internists. Infectious causes predominate in our setting, but more than one-third of uveitis cases referred to internal medicine in our series are of undetermined etiology. Close collaboration between ophthalmologists and internists remains essential for better management of uveitis.