Long-term follow-up of patients with uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a cohort study.

Purpose: To analyze the clinical and visual outcome of 55 consecutive patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis examined 7 and 24 years after the onset of the eye disease.

Methods: A retrospective study.

Results: Fifty-five out of 350 patients with JIA developed uveitis (15.7%). Forty-six (84%) of these had oligoarthritis, 6 (11%) had polyarthritis, and 3(5%) had systemic disease. Cataract was present in 42% at 7 years and in 51% at 24 years. Uveitic glaucoma was present in 5% at 7 years and in 22% at 24 years. After 24 years, 27 patients (49%) still had active uveitis.

Conclusions: In half of these patients the uveitis was still active after 24 years of eye disease. In the group of patients with active disease, cataract and secondary glaucoma increased significantly between years 7 and 24 of disease.