Uveitis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Treatment & Management

  • Author: Manolette R Roque, MD, MBA; Chief Editor: Hampton Roy Sr, MD   more...
 
Updated: Sep 28, 2010
 

Medical Care

The management of patients with JIA-associated uveitis should be approached in a stepladder manner.[14, 15, 16, 17]

  • Treatment initially should begin with topical corticosteroids. Most patients would respond to this initial treatment. Around 20% of patients with JIA-associated uveitis have little or no response.
  • The presence of vitreous cells, severe disease, or chronic inflammation increases the risk for CME. These patients may be given additional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
  • The decision to use regional corticosteroids depends on the patient's response to topical therapy and/or the presence of posterior segment involvement. Monocular involvement also weighs in more toward regional corticosteroid use. Bilaterality may favor the use of systemic corticosteroids.
  • Systemic immunomodulatory agents may be useful for patients with limited or no response to systemic corticosteroids or those who develop unacceptable adverse effects.[9, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26]
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Surgical Care

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelation for band keratopathy may be performed. The procedural technique for EDTA chelation is outlined below.

  • This procedure is ideally performed in a minor operating room setting using an operating microscope as well as topical (proparacaine or tetracaine) anesthesia.
  • Apply a self-retaining lid speculum to keep the eyelids open.
  • Perform epithelial debridement using an ophthalmic surgical blade (blade 15) or a sharp spatula to expose the underlying calcium.
  • Apply Weck-cel sponges, soaked with 0.05 mol, 1.5% neutral disodium EDTA, to the corneal surface. A corneal well, similar to a corneal trephine, may be used to soak the exposed calcium to EDTA.
  • Using a blunt (Paton) spatula, firmly scrape the corneal surface to remove calcium deposits.
  • Repeat the procedure of soaking and scraping as often as necessary to clear up the central visual axis. Usually, thin calcium deposits are dissolved in 5 minutes. Sometimes, it may take as long as 30-45 minutes to remove thick plaques.
  • Place topical antibiotic and nonsteroidal agents on the cornea. Use the topical medications until the bandage contact lenses are in place.
  • Place a bandage contact lens over the cornea. Maintain the bandage contact lens for 1-2 weeks until the cornea is completely reepithelialized.

Cataract surgery is reserved for those patients with poor visual acuity or in cases where the vitreous and retina cannot be visualized. The decision to perform cataract surgery should be weighed against the risks and benefits. Routine placement of an intraocular lens is contraindicated in most patients with JIA.[27, 28, 29]

Glaucoma surgery is reserved for patients in whom medical therapy has failed and evidence exists of progressive optic nerve damage.

If vitreous debris prevents optimal vision or examination of the fundus, core vitrectomy for clearing inflammatory debris is a good adjunct to cataract surgery.

Membranectomy/vitrectomy for cyclitic membranes may be performed to prevent phthisis resulting from prolonged hypotony (see the images below).

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis. PseudophakiJuvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis. Pseudophakia with posterior chamber intraocular lens with anterior membrane and posterior capsular opacification with cyclitic membrane formation. Courtesy of Manolette Roque, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants Philippines Co, EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis. Use of GrieJuvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis. Use of Grieshaber iris hooks to create and maintain a large enough pupil for adequate visualization during membranectomy and pars plana vitrectomy in a pseudophakic child. The intraocular lens was clear after the anterior lenticular membrane was peeled off. Courtesy of Manolette Roque, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants Philippines Co, EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic.

With proper selection of patients and appropriate surgical technique and follow-up, the implantation of an intraocular lens simultaneous with cataract extraction has been shown to yield better visual results than cataract extraction alone. The risk of ocular hypertension, cystoid macular edema, and optic disc swelling was not higher with lens implantation with control of perioperative inflammation.[30]

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Consultations

A team approach to management of patients with severe, chronic disease requiring systemic immunomodulatory treatment is recommended.

  • Ocular immunology and uveitis specialist
  • Pediatric rheumatologist
  • Child psychiatrist
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Manolette R Roque, MD, MBA  President and CEO, Service Chief of Ocular Immunology and Uveitis, Refractive Surgery, EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic; General Manager, Ophthalmic Consultants Philippines; Section Chief of Ocular Immunology and Uveitis, Department of Ophthalmology, Asian Hospital and Medical Center; Section Chief of Ocular Immunology and Uveitis, Department of Ophthalmology, St Luke's Medical Center Global City; Senior Eye Surgeon, The LASIK Surgery Clinic; Senior Eye Surgeon, Precise Eye Laser Center

Manolette R Roque, MD, MBA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators, American Uveitis Society, International Ocular Inflammation Society, Philippine Medical Association, Philippine Ocular Inflammation Society, and Philippine Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Barbara L Roque, MD  Full Partner, Ophthalmic Consultants Philippines Co; Ophthalmology Consultant, Eye Republic Ophthalmology Clinic; Visiting Ophthalmologist, QC Eye Center and Asian Hospital and Medical Center

Barbara L Roque, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology, and Philippine Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Elisabetta Miserocchi, MD  Fellow in Immunology and Uveitis Service, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

C Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR, FAAO  Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Consulting Staff, Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary; Founder and President, Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation, Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution

C Stephen Foster, MD, FACS, FACR, FAAO is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Association of Immunologists, American College of Rheumatology, American College of Surgeons, American Federation for Clinical Research, American Medical Association, American Society for Microbiology, American Uveitis Society, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Medical Society, Royal Society of Medicine, and Sigma Xi

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Andrew A Dahl, MD  Director of Ophthalmology Teaching, Mid-Hudson Family Practice Institute, The Institute for Family Health; Assistant Professor of Surgery (Ophthalmology), New York College of Medicine

Andrew A Dahl, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Simon K Law, MD, PharmD  Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute; Chief of Section of Ophthalmology Surgical Services, Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare Center, West Los Angeles

Simon K Law, MD, PharmD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Glaucoma Society, and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

R Christopher Walton, MD  Professor, Director of Uveitis and Ocular Inflammatory Disease Service, Department of Ophthalmology, Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education, University of Tennessee College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Regional Medical Center, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St Jude Children's Research Hospital

R Christopher Walton, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Healthcare Executives, American Uveitis Society, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and Retina Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Lance L Brown, OD, MD  Ophthalmologist, Affiliated With Freeman Hospital and St John's Hospital, Regional Eye Center, Joplin, Missouri

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Hampton Roy Sr, MD  Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Hampton Roy Sr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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Acute anterior uveitis with hypopyon in a child. Courtesy of Manolette Roque, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants Philippines Co, EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis. Band keratopathy. Courtesy of Manolette Roque, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants Philippines Co, EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis. Pseudophakia with posterior chamber intraocular lens with anterior membrane and posterior capsular opacification with cyclitic membrane formation. Courtesy of Manolette Roque, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants Philippines Co, EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis. Use of Grieshaber iris hooks to create and maintain a large enough pupil for adequate visualization during membranectomy and pars plana vitrectomy in a pseudophakic child. The intraocular lens was clear after the anterior lenticular membrane was peeled off. Courtesy of Manolette Roque, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants Philippines Co, EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic.
 
 
 
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