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Trends in nationwide incidence of uveitis in South Korea using the National Health Insurance claims database from 2010 to 2021

Eye volume 39, pages 1123–1131 (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the population-based incidence of uveitis and the differences between anterior and non-anterior uveitis using the comprehensive Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database.

Methods

We extracted data of patients who visited the clinic and were diagnosed with uveitis (based on Korean Classification of Diseases) from 2010 to 2021. The incidence of uveitis, differences between the demographics, and the underlying co-morbidities of anterior uveitis, non-anterior uveitis, and control groups were investigated.

Results

We identified 919,370 cases with uveitis (anterior: 800,132; non-anterior: 119,238). The average incidences (per 10,000 persons) of anterior and non-anterior uveitis were 13.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.9–13.0), and 1.9 (95% CI, 1.9–1.9), respectively. The incidence increased (2010: 13.0; 2019: 16.5) but decreased during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic (2020: 15.5; 2021: 15.4). The non-anterior group was significantly associated with sex (female, odds ratio [OR]: 1.09, p < 0.0001), specific age range (40–69 years, p < 0.0001), high Charlson Comorbidity Index (p < 0.0001), high household income (p < 0.0001), and various immunologic diseases (antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, OR: 1.79, p < 0.0001; systemic lupus erythematosus, OR: 1.22, p < 0.0001; psoriasis, OR: 1.13, p < 0.0001; ulcerative colitis, OR: 1.11, p = 0.0013; tuberculosis, OR: 1.09, p < 0.0001; rheumatoid arthritis, OR: 1.05, p < 0.0001) compared with the anterior group.

Conclusions

Using the NHIS database, we conducted the largest population-based epidemiological study on uveitis in South Korea to estimate its increasing incidence in the past decade (including changes during COVID-19 pandemic) as well as its anatomical distribution. Our results may be beneficial for estimating the national burden of uveitis.

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Fig. 1: Flowchart illustrating study cohort enrolment.
Fig. 2: Twelve-year trend of incidence of uveitis in South Korea.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Biostatistical Consulting and the Research Lab of Hanyang University for assistance with statistical analysis.

Funding

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grants funded by the Korean government (RS-2023-00251816 (HC) and NRF-2021R1I1A1A01059690 (EHH)). The Byers Eye Institute is supported by funding from the National Eye Institute (NEI P30-EY026877) and from the Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. The funding organizations had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Eun Hee Hong, Jiyeong Kim.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Eun Hee Hong, Min Ho Kang & Yong Un Shin

  2. Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea

    Eun Hee Hong & Yong Un Shin

  3. Department of Pre-Medicine, College of Medicine, and Biostatistics Laboratory, Medical Research Collaborating Center, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea

    Jiyeong Kim

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea

    Sungwho Park

  5. Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Sungwho Park, Albert Bromeo, Anh Ngoc Tram Tran, Amir Akhavanrezayat, Chi Mong Christopher Or, Zheng Xian Thng & Quan Dong Nguyen

  6. Research Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea

    Heeyoon Cho

  7. NOON Eye Clinic, Guri, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea

    Heeyoon Cho

  8. National Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

    Zheng Xian Thng

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Contributions

EHH was responsible for interpretation of the results, funding acquisition, and writing the original draft. JK was responsible for data extraction and analysis and drafted the original manuscript. SP was responsible for validation of the analysis and edited the manuscript. HC was responsible for funding acquisition and providing resources. MHK interpreted the results and provided resources. AB, ANTT, AA, CMCO, and ZXT validated the analysis and reviewed the manuscript. YUS conceived and supervised the presented work, interpreted the results and critical reviewed the manuscript. QDN was responsible for funding acquisition and supervised the presented work. All authors contributed to the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yong Un Shin or Quan Dong Nguyen.

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Hong, E.H., Kim, J., Park, S. et al. Trends in nationwide incidence of uveitis in South Korea using the National Health Insurance claims database from 2010 to 2021. Eye 39, 1123–1131 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-024-03500-8

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