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 characteris tics and risk factors of uveitis are: female gender (90%), bilateral i nvolvement (63%), chronicity (91%), relapses (94%), oligoarticular art hritis (73%), antinuclear antibodies (83%). The intraocular inflammati on was most frequently asymptomatic. It is extremely important to scre en 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 glau coma (10%). The most devastating complicating is secondary glaucoma.