| Presentation preference | Oral presentation |
| Title | Ocular complications in children with idiopathic chronic anterior uveitis |
| Purpose | To describe the course and development of ocular complications in children with idiopathic chronic anterior uveitis (CAU). |
| Methods | Data of 48 patients (83 affected eyes) with idiopathic CAU were collected retrospectively. Outcome measures were: visual acuity, systemic treatment, ocular complications and surgery. Outcomes of children with a younger (≤8 years) and older onset of uveitis (>8 years) were compared using Cox proportional hazard analysis with correction for paired eyes. |
| Results | Median age of onset of uveitis was 7.8 years (range 3.3-16). Bilateral disease was present in 35 patients (73%). Fifteen patients (31%) were treated with systemic corticosteroids. Thirty-six patients (75%) were treated with immunomodulatory therapy, of whom 29% (n=14) were treated with an additional biological agent. Complications were present in 43% of the affected eyes at onset of uveitis and increased to 74% at 5 years of follow-up. At 5 years of follow-up the younger age group suffered more frequently from posterior synechiae (HR 2.6, p<0.01) and secondary glaucoma (HR 16, p=0.02), and needed more cataract surgery (HR 4.8, p<0.01). Visual acuity was significantly worse in the younger age group (0.15 vs 0.00 logMAR, p<0.001), but improved at 5 years of follow-up (0.05 vs 0.00 logMAR, p=0.82). |
| Conclusion | Vision-threatening ocular complications occur in the majority of the children with idiopathic CAU. They are more common in children with a younger age of onset of uveitis and are frequently being present at onset. Nevertheless, long-term vision usually stays good. |
| Conflict of interest | No |
Authors 1
| Last name | KOUWENBERG |
| Initials of first name(s) | CV |
| Department | Ophthalmology |
| City | Utrecht |
| Country | Netherlands |
Authors 2
| Last name | Shahabi |
| Initials of first name(s) | M |
| Department | Ophthalmology |
| City | Utrecht |
| Country | Netherlands |
Authors 3
| Last name | de Boer |
| Initials of first name(s) | JH |
| Department | Ophthalmology |
| City | Utrecht |
| Country | Netherlands |
Authors 4
| Last name | Koopman-Kalinina Ayuso |
| Initials of first name(s) | V |
| Department | Ophthalmology |
| City | Utrecht |
| Country | Netherlands |
