UVEITIS IN JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS

The authors report the follow-up of thirty patients and 49 eyes, with uveitis associated to juvenile chronic arthritis. Clinical characteristics and risk factors of uveitis are: female gender (90%), bilateral involvement (63%), chronicity (91%), relapses (94%), oligoarticular arthritis (73%), antinuclear antibodies (83%). The intraocular inflammation was most frequently asymptomatic. It is extremely important to screen the patients systematically at regular intervals in order to early diagnose the uveitis to improve the visual prognosis. Risk factors for significant visual loss are still cataract (26.5%) and secondary glaucoma (10%). The most devastating complicating is secondary glaucoma.