The Risk Assessment of Uveitis After Monkeypox Diagnosis: A Multicenter Population-Based Study

Abstract

The risks of uveitis development among monkeypox (MPOX) patients are unclear. To determine the uveitis risks after (MPOX) diagnosis. Population-based, retrospective cohort study used the TriNetX database and recruited those with and without MPOX diagnosis from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2023. The non-MPOX cohort consisted of randomly selected control patients matched by covariates, including age, gender, ethnicity, race, relevant comorbidities, previous medications, and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein. Statistical analysis on uveitis risk included hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated over 8 years (2016–2023). A separate analysis of the risk of uveitis among MPOX patients aged 20 years and older was also conducted. (MPOX) diagnosis, identified using electronic diagnostic codes. Cumulative incidence of new-onset uveitis. A total of 5449 MPOX patients of all ages (25.45% female; mean age at index 35.17 ± 15.70 years) and 5449 propensity-matched non-MPOX comparators (23.97% female; mean age at index 35.30 ± 15.91 years) were recruited from the TriNetX database. For both the overall MPOX patient population and the adult MPOX patients, the risk of uveitis was significantly higher compared to the non-MPOX cohort. This increased risk mainly happened in patients with anterior uveitis. Specifically, the hazard ratio for uveitis in all MPOX patients was 2.59 (95% CI: 1.40–4.79). Among MPOX patients aged 20 years or older, the hazard ratio for uveitis was 2.14 (95% CI: 1.17–3.94). There is a notable association between new-onset uveitis and patients with MPOX. Our real-world findings underscore the importance of being aware of the potential risk of anterior uveitis in this patient population.