Uveitis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis - Case Reports on Guideline-based Diagnostic Work-up and Treatment

Abstract

Objectives: Case report based presentation of the current German interdisciplinary guideline on the diagnosis and management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated (JIA) uveitis.

Material and methods: Guideline of the German Society of Ophthalmology, the Society of Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology, the German Society of Rheumatology, the Professional Association of German Ophthalmologists, with the participation of patient representatives. Recent primary publications were critically graduated for evidence and recommendations; the methodology included consensus building through Delphi rounds and external peer review. The outcomes are presented with typical case studies.

Outcomes: Once JIA is first diagnosed, periodic ophthalmological check-ups should promptly be instituted ensuring that uveitis is diagnosed before irreversible sequelae become manifest. High-quality patient care can be provided depending on the severity of each uveitis case. At present, anti-inflammatory treatment relies on corticosteroids, conventional synthetic (cs), biological (b) and other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Conclusions: Timely diagnosis and state-of-the-art guideline-based management can significantly improve the long-term outcome of JIA-associated uveitis.