Recommendations for the management of childhood juvenile idiopathic arthritis-type chronic anterior uveitis.

Abstract

Australian- and New Zealand-based, uveitis-specialized ophthalmologists have produced recommendations for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-type chronic anterior uveitis. Historically, the visual prognosis of JIA-type chronic anterior uveitis has been poor. New medical advances are likely to improve outcomes, but recently published guidelines are tailored for ophthalmic care in Europe and the United States. This work involved a consensus survey and a panel meeting. The Australian and New Zealand JIA-Uveitis Working Group (29 ophthalmologists) participated in the work. The Delphi technique was used to achieve consensus. This work yielded consensus statements. The Working Group achieved consensus around 18 statements related to clinical evaluation, use of topical and regional corticosteroids, use of systemic corticosteroid and non-corticosteroid immunomodulatory drugs, and management of secondary cataract and glaucoma in childhood JIA-type uveitis. Recommendations of the Australian and New Zealand JIA-Uveitis Working Group provide current and regionally applicable advice for managing chronic anterior uveitis in children with JIA.