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

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title>
<jats:p>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.</jats:p>