European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

TYPES AND RATES OF OCULAR COMPLICATIONS AMONG CHILDREN WITH UVEITIS

Samer I. Alawneh, MD, Ghadeer Al-H Umimat, MD*, Mohammad A. Altarawneh, MD, Nasser A Al-Fuqara, MD, Areej M Alasassfeh, MD and Ahmed E. Khatatbeh, MD

ABSTRACT

Aim: to explore uveitis cases in children and to evaluate the extent of their complications and its impact on vision. Method: this is a retrospective study which was conducted at the ophthalmology clinic of Queen Rania children hospital. The medical records of all patients who attended to the ophthalmology clinic suffering from uveitis between January 2019 and December 2020 were enrolled in the study. Their medical records were reviewed regarding age, gender, type of uveitis, type of complications encountered in those patients, visual acuity, results of ocular examination including intra ocular pressure and types of medications used in those patients. The results were analyzed and compared with those of other studies. Results: 140 children (160 eyes) aged between 2 and 16 years (mean 9.5±4.3 years) were included in the study. 112 eyes (70.0%) had at least one type of complication. The most common etiology of uveitis in children was idiopathic (40.6%). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis was the most common known cause of uveitis (38.8%) and the most common etiology of uveitis in eyes with ocular complications (41.1%). The most common type of complication encountered in children with uveitis was posterior synechiae (23.8%) followed by cataract (17.5%) and glaucoma (11.3%). Conclusion: ocular complications were found at high rate among children with uveitis. Early age of onset, long duration of uveitis, infectious uveitis and Behcet’s disease were found to be risk factors. Posterior segment involvement and Behcet’s disease were the most apparent risk factors for visuals morbidity.

Keywords: children, uveitis, ocular complications.