Evaluation of the ocular changes in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Purpose
To analyse the frequency of uveitis and other ocular changes in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Material and methods
We carried out ophthalmologic examination in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, in age between 3 and 20 years. During the examination we evaluated vision acuity, refraction, anterior and posterior part of the eye and intraocular pressure.

Results
A total of 48 (68%) girls and 22 (32%) boys participated in our study, whose mean age was 13.2 years (SD =3.8). The most frequent onset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis was oligoarticular form of the disease (62%). Only in 42% of the studied group there were no significant abnormalities of the ocular system. Anterior uveitis was diagnosed in 5 patients (7%) including 4 (5.7%) girls and 1 (1.4%) boy. Complications appeared in 2 children in the form of cataract and band keratopathy which both resulted in considerable impairment of visual acuity. Mean duration of juvenile idiopathic arthritis before the onset of uveitis was 5.2 years. There were other ocular changes in the studied group, among which the most common were: conjunctivitis – 24%, abnormalities of the retina – 11%, glaucoma – 4% and other changes.

Conclusions
In majority of the children with juvenile chronic arthritis different abnormalities of the eyes were diagnosed. All the patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis should be under close surveillance of the ophthalmologist, irrespective of the disease duration.