title: The clinical course of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis in childhood and puberty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The long-term course of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis is not known yet. This study investigates the course and activity of JIA-associated uveitis in childhood and puberty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of the clinical data of 62 JIA patients with uveitis. The main outcome measurements consisted of uveitis activity measured as mean cell grade in the anterior chamber, topical and systemic medication and ocular complications related to disease activity. All data were scored and evaluated per year of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Uveitis activity took a biphasic course with a quiet phase around the age of 9 years and showed increased activity during early teenage years. The biphasic course was significantly related to age (p=0.048) but not to uveitis duration. More patients were treated with systemic immunosuppressive medication in estimated puberty years (63% in boys, 53% in girls) compared with prepuberty years (46% and 28%, respectively), although the difference was only significant in girls (p<0.001). The presence of cystoid macular oedema and papillitis was not significantly related to estimated puberty, but the development of an hypotonous eye was more frequently observed in boys in estimated puberty years (p=0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  JIA-associated uveitis appears to take a biphasic course with the second phase of activity during early teenage years and more treatment with systemic immunosuppressive medication occurred during estimated puberty compared with prepuberty years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology University Medical Center Utrecht, Postbus 85500, 3508 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.hoeve@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: Maretta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoeve
authors.forename: Viera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kalinina Ayuso
authors.forename: Nicoline E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Schalij-Delfos
authors.forename: Leonoor I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Los
authors.forename: Aniki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rothova
authors.forename: Joke H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: de Boer
mesh_terms: D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents