Differentiated Approach to the Surgical Treatment of Chronic Uveitis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The purpose is to analyze the results of complex treatment of chronic uveitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Patients and methods. The study included 26 children (46 eyes) with uveitis associated with JIA aged from 5 to 16 years. All children underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination. The patients were divided into 3 groups. The first group included children with anterior uveitis (18 eyes), 3 eyes had iridocyclitis without changing of optical media transparency; precipitates on the endothelium in combination with the rear adhesions and complicated cataract were revealed in 15 eyes. The second group included children with middle and posterior uveitis (12 eyes), where effusion into the vitreous in combination with retinal edema in macular area were shown. The third group included children with panuveitis (16 eyes), where ribbon-like corneal dystrophy in combination with the rear adhesions, complicated cataract, and pericardial effusion of varying severity in the vitreous body traction syndrome, macular edema were revealed. Treatment tactics in each group depended on the characteristics of the pathological process.

Results. In the first group, visual acuity in the postoperative period was 0.5–0.8. In the second group, after the conservative drug anti-inflammatory treatment, the pathological process subsided and visual acuity increased up to 0.6–0.8 in 4 eyes. In 3 eyes with a pronounced traction component on the periphery and the presence of vitreomacular traction syndrome, where vitrectomy was performed, visual acuity was 0.3–0.5. After intravitreal “Ozurdex” implantation (5 eyes), diffuse macular edema decreased and visual acuity increased up to 0.7–0.8. In the third group, in cases of intense opacity of the vitreous body due to exudative effusion, a 3-port 25–27G vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade was performed. Visual acuity after the surgery varied from 0.2 to 0.5.

Conclusion. High functional results in children with uveitis associated with JIA were achieved due to modern methods of preoperative diagnosis, advanced surgical techniques, as well as proper management of the patients in the postoperative period. 

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