[Clinical diagnosis and treatment of uveitis associated with ankylosing spondylitis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of uveitis associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).


METHODS
A history about low back pain was carefully reviewed in patients with uveitis and X-ray examination was performed if necessary. Forty-four patients were diagnosed as AS from January 1996 to June 2001 in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center according to the modified New York criteria for AS. Data concerning these patients, especially with respect to the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment, were retrospectively analyzed.


RESULTS
Of 44 patients, 41 were male. The age of the patients at onset of uveitis was (33 +/- 15) years old. All of the 34 patients who had a uveitis history over 40 days showed a recurrent inflammation. In 18 patients (52.9%), the interval between the relapse of uveitis was more than one year. Bilateral ocular involvement was found in 23 out of 34 patients with recurrent uveitis. However, none of them showed a bilateral inflammation at the onset of uveitis. All patients showed acute anterior uveitis with a duration of (27 +/- 12) days. All patients had definitely radiological evidences of bilateral sacroiliitis, although not all of them had typical history of lower back pain. Treatment with corticosteroids eyedrops and cycloplegic agent was used in all patients. Vision equal to or better than 1.0 was achieved in 82.5% of these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Uveitis associated with AS is characterized by acute nongranulamatous anterior uveitis with recurrent episodes in male. Diagnosis is made according to typical clinical features and radiological evidences of bilateral sacroiliitis. Treatment with corticosteroid eyedrops and cycloplegic is able to resolve the inflammation rapidly and leads to a good prognosis in most patients.
Yang
Pei-zeng
PZ
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China. peizengy@126.com
Wang
Hong
H
Zhang
Zhen
Z
Zhong
Hua-hong
HH
Yu
Qiong
Q
Fu
Tao
T
Zhou
Hong-yan
HY
Huang
Xiang-kun
XK
D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014605:Uveitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions