Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Scleritis in the IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) Database

PURPOSE: To report patient characteristics and factors associated with poor visual acuity and abnormal intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with scleritis in the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients in the IRIS Registry with at least 3 office visits associated with an International Classification of Diseases scleritis code from 2013 through 2019. METHODS: We evaluated demographic and clinical characteristics in scleritis and scleritis subtype cohorts. We conducted Cox proportional hazards and multiple logistic regression analyses to assess associations with poor best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), vision loss, and IOP abnormalities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient characteristics, BCVA of 0.6 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) or more, BCVA worsened by more than 3 logMAR units 6 months after presentation, IOP of 30 mmHg or more, and IOP of 5 mmHg or less. RESULTS: In this cohort of 111 314 patients with scleritis, the mean ± standard deviation age was 58.5 ± 16.6 years, 66% were women, and 30% had bilateral scleritis. Patients with scleromalacia perforans were older and more likely to have bilateral disease. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified factors with increased odds for poor presenting BCVA (older age, male sex, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, smoking, and scleritis subtypes) and at least 3 lines of vision loss 6 months after initial scleritis diagnosis (older age, smoking, and anterior scleritis). Cox proportional hazards regression modeling of BCVA of 0.6 logMAR or more showed older age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] per 10-year unit, 1.11), Black race (aHR, 1.19), Hispanic ethnicity (aHR, 1.22), active smoking (aHR, 1.39), former smoking (aHR, 1.26), and certain scleritis subtypes increase the risk of poor visual acuity development (P < 0.001 for all). Older age, male sex, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, smoking, and scleritis subtypes increased the odds of IOP abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: Older age, Black or Hispanic ancestry, smoking, and specific scleritis subtypes are risk factors for worse visual and IOP outcomes in patients with scleritis in the IRIS Registry. Closer follow-up may be appropriate for older, Black, or Hispanic patients with scleritis; smokers should receive smoking cessation assistance.