Abstract
Purpose :
To analyze occurrence, risk factors and course of ocular hypotony (OH) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIAU).
Methods :
Cross-sectional, retrospective study of JIAU patients with and without ocular hypotony. Epidemiological and ophthalmological data at baseline and during follow-up were evaluated.
Results :
OH occurred in 57 of the 365 JIAU patients (mean follow-up of 3.5±3.5 years). In 40 of the patients, OH was not related to previous ocular surgery: Baseline risk factors for OH during clinical course (univariate logistic regression analysis) included higher age at onset of uveitis (OR 1.15 p=0.003), bilateral uveitis (OR 3.51, p=0.009), low visual acuity (OR 5.1, p=0.001), and high anterior chamber (AC) – laser-flare values (LF; OR 1.74, p=0.01). Increased AC-cell- and -LF- values were observed within three months prior to onset of transient (≤3 months; 37.5%) or persistent OH (≥4 months; 62.5%). AC-cell- and -LF- values decreased within 3 months after onset of transient OH, while LF levels remained elevated ≥12 months in persistent OH. Optic disc edema and epiretinal membrane formation was found more often after OH onset.
Conclusions :
OH was observed in 15.6% of JIAU patients. Higher age at uveitis onset, bilateral uveitis, low visual acuity, and high AC-cell- and –laser-flare-grades at baseline were risk factors for subsequent OH. Systemic immunosuppression reduced the risk for OH occurrence, and improved the OH course.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.