title: Temporal change in prevalence and complications of uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis:data from a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective nationwide study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the nationwide prevalence of uveitis in JIA and its complications over a whole decade.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective, observational and cross-sectional study including all JIA patients from a National Paediatric Rheumatological Database (NPRD) with a uveitis add-on module in Germany (2002-2013). Temporal changes in uveitis prevalence, related secondary complications and anti-inflammatory medication were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 60 centres including 18,555 JIA patients (mean 3,863 patients/year, SD=837) were documented in the NPRD between 2002 and 2013. The mean age of the patients was 11.4 ± 4.6 years, their mean disease duration 4.4 ± 3.7 years. Among them, 66.9% were female and 51.7% ANA positive. Patients' mean age at arthritis onset was 6.9 ± 4.5 years. Treatment rates with synthetic and biological DMARDs increased during the observation period (sDMARD: 39.8% to 47.2%, bDMARD: 3.3% to 21.8%). Uveitis prevalence decreased significantly from 2002 to 2013 (13.0% to 11.6%, OR = 0.98, p=0.015). The prevalence of secondary uveitis complications also decreased significantly between 2002 and 2013 (33.6% to 23.9%, OR=0.94, p<0.001). Among the complications, the most common ones were posterior synechiae, cataract and band keratopathy. A significant increase in achieving uveitis inactivity was observed at 30.6% in 2002 and 65.3% in 2013 (OR=1.15, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Uveitis prevalence and complications significantly decreased between 2002 and 2013. This may be associated with a more frequent use of DMARDs.
authors.affiliation: German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, Leibnitz Institute, Berlin; Department of Ophthalmology at St. Franziskus Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tappeiner
authors.affiliation: German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, Leibnitz Institute, Berlin; and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klotsche
authors.affiliation: German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, Leibnitz Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schenck
authors.affiliation: German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, Leibnitz Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niewerth
authors.affiliation: German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, Leibnitz Institute, Berlin; and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Children's University Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minden
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology at St. Franziskus Hospital, Münster; and University Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heiligenhaus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents