Introduction:

Ocular tuberculosis (OTB) can affect any part of the eye, with or without systemic compromise. Despite the large number of investigations related to the burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the world, as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, few epidemiologic studies on ocular infection have been made.

Objective:

To determine the frequency of OTB consultations in the general population and in patients with TB, according to the personal health records system (Registro Individual de Prestaciones de Servicios de Salud [RIPS]) between 2013 and 2017 in Colombia.

Method:

Observational and retrospective study, based on secondary sources of information. Data of patients diagnosed with OTB were obtained from the RIPS, diagnostic code A18.5. The National Statistics Department (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística) projections and SIVIGILA data, were used as denominators.

Results:

There were 137 people with OTB between 2013 and 2017. The global rate was 2.8 people attended per million inhabitants; there was an inverse relationship with the year evaluated (p = 0.008). In women it was 3.1 and in men 2.5 per million inhabitants (p = 0.275). The highest rates were observed in the 75-79 age group (10.2 per million) and in the departments of Putumayo and Santander (5.8 per million inhabitants each). In patients with TB, the frequency of the ocular form was 0.2 per hundred.

Conclusions:

The frequency in Colombia of people attended for OTB in TB patients was lower than that reported worldwide, perhaps due to underreporting of the number of people attended.

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