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 arthritis (juvenile chronic iridocyclite). ANA is present at 30%

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

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• Bindevevssykdommer.no
• Vaskulitt.no