Chronic Non-infectious Uveitis in Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To describe clinical findings and analyze treatment evolution of chronic, non-infectious uveitis in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: A total of 82 patients (147 eyes) with JIA-related uveitis treated for ≥2 months were included (78% females; 79% bilateral uveitis; 74% anterior uveitis). Outcome measures were visual acuity (VA), inflammation control, side-effects, and surgical procedures.

Results: Mean ± SD age at diagnosis was 4.9 ± 3.8 years; mean ± SD follow-up time was 8.7 ± 7.8 years. Mean VA did not significantly change throughout the study. Three (2%) eyes resulted in no light perception (NLP) vision. Thirty (37%) patients underwent 69 procedures. In total, 41 (50%) patients achieved inflammation control. TNF-α inhibitors were significantly associated with inflammation control. Seven (8.5%) patients stopped treatment due to side-effects.

Conclusions: JIA is a cause of significant ocular morbidity. TNF-α inhibitor use was associated with inflammation control. Prospective, randomized, double blind clinical trials in this regard are warranted.

Keywords:

• Immunomodulation
• inflammation
• juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• uveitis

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Supplemental Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.