Long-term follow-up of intermediate uveitis in children.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the clinical manifestations, remissions, and visual prognosis of intermediate uveitis in children, and to identify the risk factors for poor visual outcome.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
Institutional study of 32 consecutive patients examined at a tertiary referral center with intermediate uveitis and the onset of ocular disease before the age of 16 years. Numerous variables were assessed, including age and gender distribution, laboratory data, the presence of systemic diseases, onset and course of ocular inflammation, clinical features and complications, therapeutic strategies and their outcomes, remission and final visual acuity, and characteristics associated with poor visual outcome.


RESULTS
Bilateral involvement was observed in 94% of the patients. Remission was observed in seven out of 15 patients (47%) with completed follow-up of five years. For our 32 subjects, we found a mean time to remission of 6.4 years (SE 0.7, CI 5.1 to 7.7). Visual outcome was favorable as only three patients developed unilateral acuity of less than 0.1 after five-year follow-up, and no additional blind eyes manifested. No associated systemic diseases were established. Optic disk edema was the most frequent complication observed (71%). Cystoid macular edema (CME) was observed in 44% of the patients and was the most common cause of visual loss.


CONCLUSIONS
Intermediate uveitis of childhood might exhibit a self-limiting course after several years. Visual loss was limited despite the high rate of severe ocular complications.
FC Donders Institute of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. j.deboer-3@oogh.azu.nl
Joke
J
de Boer
Tos T J M
TT
Berendschot
Patricia
P
van der Does
Aniki
A
Rothova
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015867:Uveitis, Intermediate / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
D005938:Glucocorticoids