title: Risk factors and longterm outcome of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis in Switzerland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine rate, risk factors, and longterm outcome of uveitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in Switzerland and compare the results with a study of a different center in Switzerland from 1992.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of the charts and ophthalmologists' reports of all patients with JIA in a tertiary care outpatient clinic between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2005, for diagnosis, course, and outcome of uveitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Uveitis occurred in 35/265 patients (13.2%) of our JIA cohort, which is similar to the 16% reported in the 1992 cohort. A positive test for antinuclear antibodies was the strongest risk factor. The JIA subgroup with the highest rate of uveitis was "other arthritis," followed by oligoarticular JIA. Extended and persistent course of oligoarticular JIA had a similar uveitis incidence, but all patients with extended-course disease developed uveitis before more than 4 joints were affected. After a mean followup of 5.62 years (range 0.5-15.17), 12/35 (34%) patients with uveitis had developed uveitis complications. Best corrected visual acuity was normal in 91% of patients. Only 5.6% of the affected eyes were legally blind as compared to 17.6% in the 1992 cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of uveitis was 13.2% in our cohort of Swiss children and has not changed since 1992. Despite the high rate of uveitis complications, the longterm visual outcome was excellent.
authors.affiliation: Zürich University Children's Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Isabel Bettina
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Bolt
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cannizzaro
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seger
authors.forename: Rotraud Katharina
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Saurenmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014605:Uveitis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear