Juvenile Arthritis (JIA), Childhood Arthritis and eye complications

Uveitt (Arthritis)

Uveitis are the most common complication from the eyes by childhood arthritis

• Uveitis in children is caused by child joints (JIA) in over half of the cases
• Chronic anterior, non-granulomatous uveitis is the most common
• Girls 4 times more often than boys

Symptoms

Little symptoms in children; vision loss without notice

• Occurs before joint inflammation (arthritis) at 6-7%
• Between joints and uveitis intervals are 2 years at 50%
• No correlation between disease activity in the joint disease and the eye disease

Diagnosis

Regular ophthalmologist examination, even without symptoms

• ANA (antinuclear antibody in blood samples) available in 75%

Treatment

Optometrist

• Eye drops
• Other anticancer drugs

Prognosis

• Untreated: Both eyes are attacked for up to 70%
  • Risk of blindness in one or both eyes
• Worst prognosis:
  • Low age at debut
  • Oligoarticular arthritis / arthritis (four or fewer joints)
  • ANA (antinuclear factors)

Follow-up

• Recommended regular ophthalmological controls
  • Each 3. month for those who are most exposed

Chronic idiopathic iridocyclitis in children (almost only girls) also occurs without the presence of arthritis (juvenile chronic iridocyclitis). ANA is present in 30%.

Recommendations

Norwegian Rheumatological Association

Literature

• Rodriguex-GArzia A, 2015
• Abu Samara K, 2016
• The eye of rheumatic diseases is generally described here (Vaskulitt.no)

More information via the National Center for Children and Youth with Rheumatic Disease (NAKBUR)

Children with rheumatic disease, BINDEVEVSSYKDOMMER.no

---

• Bindevevssykdommer.no
• Vaskulitt.no