Comparison of uveitis manifestations in patients with active systemic tuberculosis and those with positive interferon-gamma release assay without active disease

Objective To evaluate the clinical manifestations of uveitis in patients with active systemic tuberculosis (TB) and compare them to those with uveitis of undetermined cause who were positive for the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) but did not have active systemic TB. Methods This retrospective study included 118 patients: 51 with uveitis and active systemic TB, 52 with undetermined cause of uveitis and positive IGRA but no active systemic TB, and 15 with positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results from ocular fluids but no active systemic TB. Demographic data, ocular findings, and systemic TB investigations were analysed and compared. Results Patients with evidence of active TB were predominantly younger. Typical manifestations of ocular TB (OTB) were more frequently observed in patients with active systemic TB (p Conclusions Uveitis associated with active systemic TB was characterised by typical OTB manifestations and occurred more frequently in younger patients. These findings highlight the importance of considering TB in the differential diagnosis of uveitis, especially in younger individuals, and suggest that atypical manifestations may be more common in older patients and in patients without active TB.