IMPORTANCE Uveitis is responsible for a significant proportion of legal blindness in the United States. Currently, there are few population-based reports characterizing the epidemiology of uveitis. OBJECTIVE To ascertain the incidence and prevalence of uveitis in a Hawaiian population and compare these estimates with those from prior population-based studies.

Purpose To provide a population-based estimate of the incidence of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) with comparisons across racial, gender, and age groups, as well as to estimate the frequency of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Design Retrospective, population-based cohort study Participants All patients enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii health plan during the study period (N=217,061). Methods All patient encounters between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2007 in the electronic medical record of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii were queried for International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition (ICD9) codes corresponding to HZO. Charts were reviewed to confirm a diagnosis of HZO and to collect information on specific ocular manifestations. Demographic data and information on PHN were collected electronically. Incidence rates were calculated per 100,000 person-years for the entire population, as well as for age-, gender-, and race-specific subgroups. Main Outcome Measure Clinical diagnosis of HZO during the study period. Results One hundred thirty-four cases of HZO were identified in this population of 217,061 people. The overall incidence was 30.9 per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI): 25.9–36.6). The incidence rate for the population 65 years of age and over was 104.6 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI: 79.0–135.9), approximately five times the remainder of the population (p<0.001). The most common manifestation of HZO was dermatitis, followed by keratitis and conjunctivitis. The incidence of HZO for Pacific Islanders was 19.0 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI: 12.4– 28.3), which was significantly lower than the rate for non-Pacific Islanders (p=0.007). Twenty-one percent of HZO patients developed PHN. Older age and HZO with keratitis, conjunctivitis, and/or uveitis were found to be risk factors for PHN. Conclusions This study provides a population-based estimate of HZO and highlights differences across various age and racial groups. It also suggests that demographic characteristics may be useful in determining the risk of developing HZO.

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Purpose To ascertain the incidence of scleritis and episcleritis in a Hawaiian population and describe variations by age, sex, and race. Design Retrospective, population-based cohort study. Methods All electronic medical records for enrollees in Kaiser Permanente Hawaii (n = 217 061) from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007 were searched for International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition (ICD-9) codes associated with ocular inflammation. Chart review was conducted to verify a clinical diagnosis of scleritis or episcleritis. Confirmed cases were used to calculate incidence rates per 100 000 person-years. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each incidence rate, including age-, sex-, and race-specific rates, using bias-corrected Poisson regression. To assess for confounding, a multivariate analysis adjusting for age, sex, and race was also performed. Results Of 217 061 eligible patients, 17 incident scleritis cases and 93 incident episcleritis cases were confirmed. The overall incidence rates of scleritis and episcleritis were 4.1 (95% CI: 2.6-6.6) and 21.7 (95% CI: 17.7-26.5) cases per 100 000 person-years, respectively. Women were overrepresented among scleritis patients (P = .049). Pacific Islanders were the most underrepresented racial group among cases of scleritis and episcleritis (P = .006, P = .001). Blacks had the highest incidence of scleritis (P = .004). Conclusions These results provide a population-based estimate of the incidence of scleritis and episcleritis in a diverse population and highlight differences in patients' demographic characteristics. Differences in incidence by sex and race raise questions about genetic and environmental influences on the development of these conditions.

Full-thickness mucosal grafts typically maintain their native epithelial morphology following transplantation to the ocular surface. Submucosal glands usually do not survive transplantation, which could be the result of intentional thinning of the graft at the time of transplantation. Contrary to the opinion that hard palate graft epithelium usually undergoes metaplasia from keratinized to nonkeratinized within 6 months following transplantation to the eye, all hard palate grafts in this study remained orthokeratotic and/or parakeratotic.