Onset Of Uveitis Research Articles

Acute Anterior Uveitis and Spondyloarthritis: More Than Meets the Eye.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and related forms of spondyloarthritis (SpA) are associated with some extra-articular features, and the most common symptomatic association is with acute anterior uveitis (AAU). Thus, approximately 40 % of patients with AS will experience a sudden onset of a unilateral anterior uveitis sometime during the course of their disease. Patients with AAU, especially those who are HLA-B27 positive, should be questioned about inflammatory low back pain and also evaluated for other clinical features of SpA. Since a prolonged delay in diagnosis is common among SpA patients and occurrence of AAU may be the reason for their first interaction with medical care, occurrence of AAU presents a unique opportunity for identifying such undiagnosed SpA patients. Therefore, a novel evidence-based algorithm called Dublin Uveitis Evaluation Tool (DUET) has been proposed to guide ophthalmologists and primary care physicians to refer appropriate AAU patients to rheumatologists. In a large two-phase study, approximately 40 % of patients presenting with idiopathic AAU were noted to have undiagnosed SpA, and DUET algorithm was noted to have excellent sensitivity (96 %) and specificity (97 %). It has a positive likelihood ratio (LR) 41.5 and negative LR 0.03. In most instances, the eye inflammation responds well to corticosteroid and mydriatic eye drops and without the need for additional therapy. Use of oral corticosteroids is reserved for patients, especially with associated chronic inflammatory bowel disease or psoriatic arthritis presenting with bilateral, chronic, anterior, and/or intermediate uveitis, and this treatment is rarely needed for more than a couple of weeks. A very small percentage may be more refractory to such treatment and require potential novel therapies, including the use of tumor necrosis factor blockers.

Long-term safety of etanercept and adalimumab compared to methotrexate in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

ImportancePublished evidence on the long-term safety of etanercept (ETA) and adalimumab (ADA) in patients with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA) is still limited.ObjectivesTo investigate the rates of serious adverse events...

Uveitis Reactivation in Children Treated With Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Inhibitors

To evaluate reactivation of pediatric uveitis during/following treatment with tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibition (anti-TNFα). Retrospective cohort study. We assessed the incidence of uveitis reactivation in children ≤18 years who had achieved uveitis quiescence under anti-TNFα. Survival analysis was used to calculate reactivation rates while still on (primary outcome), and following discontinuation of (secondary outcome), anti-TNFα. Potential predictive factors were assessed. Among 50 children observed to develop quiescence of uveitis under anti-TNFα, 39 met criteria to be "at risk" of the primary (19 for the secondary) outcome. 60% were female, ∼half had juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and most were treated with infliximab. Overall, the estimated proportion relapsing within 12 months was 27.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.9%-45.8%); the estimated probability of reactivation was higher following (63.8% [95% CI: 38.9%-87.7%]) vs before (21.6% [95% CI: 10.8%-40.2%]) anti-TNFα discontinuation. Among those who discontinued anti-TNFα, the likelihood of reactivation was higher for those treated with adalimumab vs infliximab (hazard ratio [HR] 13.4, P = .01, 95% CI: 2.2-82.5) and those with older age at uveitis onset (HR 1.3, P = .09, 95% CI: 1.0-1.7). The duration of suppression, on medication, did not significantly affect the likelihood of reactivation when quiescence was maintained for ≥1.5 years. Approximately 75% of children remaining on anti-TNFα following achievement of uveitis quiescence remain quiescent at 1 year. However, most reactivate following anti-TNFα discontinuation. These results suggest that infliximab more often is followed by remission, off medication, than adalimumab. The data do not suggest that maintenance of suppression for more than 1.5 years decreases the reactivation risk.

Risk Factors for Developing Glaucoma Among Patients With Uveitis

To investigate the incidence and risk factors for developing ocular hypertension or glaucoma needing treatment among uveitis patients in Taiwan. The nationwide database-derived retrospective cohort study was designed using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. From 1 million representative samples randomly selected from the beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance program, all patients with a diagnosis of uveitis were identified. Only newly onset uveitis patients who were diagnosed after January 1, 2002 and had no prior diagnosis of glaucoma were included in the study, and were followed up until December 31, 2008 or the last day that they were covered by the program. A patient was defined as having glaucoma as soon as both a diagnosis of glaucoma or ocular hypertension as well as a claim for medical or surgical treatment of glaucoma was found. Risk factors for developing glaucoma at the time of, or after the uveitis incidence were evaluated and discussed. Initially, 5757 newly diagnosed uveitis patients were enrolled in the study. Of these patients, 488 (8.5%) were also diagnosed with glaucoma at the time of uveitis incidence. Patients aged 17 to 64 years, of male sex and diagnosed with anterior uveitis were more likely to have glaucoma at the time of the uveitis incidence. Among the remaining 5269 patients, 351 (6.7%) patients developed glaucoma during the follow-up period. Significant risk factors included increasing age, having been diagnosed with anterior uveitis, having more than an average number of ophthalmic claims within the first 3 months, and complications with corneal edema. A stratified analysis showed that having a history of receiving intraocular surgery is also a risk factor for the development of glaucoma among adult patients. The development of glaucoma in uveitis patients is noteworthy and is associated with several demographic and clinical factors. To minimize the visual impairment caused by uveitis-related glaucoma, clinicians should pay more attention to those uveitis patients who are at high risk for developing glaucoma.

Long-Term Efficacy of Infliximab for Treatment of Severe Behcet’s Uveitis

Introduction: Behcet’s uveitis is a serious sight-threatening condition that may lead to blindness if not appropriately managed. The aim of the present study is to evaluate long-term effectiveness of infliximab in resistant Behcet’s uveitis. Methods: Medical records of 32 patients (56 eyes) were retrospectively analysed. Primary outcomes included ocular inflammatory activity, frequency of uveitis attacks and steroidsparing effect. Results: Mean follow-up was 33,2 months while mean age of patients at disease onset was 33,3 years. Ocular inflammation was bilateral in 75% of cases and consisted in panuveitis in 46,4 % of affected eyes. All patients received intravenous infusions of infliximab (5mg/kg) at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6 and every 6-8 weeks thereafter. Clinical remission was observed in 26 out 32 patients (81,2%). Mean number of uveitis attacks decreased from 2,56 to 0,65 during infliximab therapy (p<0.001) while systemic corticosteroids were tapered in 17 patients and suspended in 10 (31,2%). Conclusions: Our study suggested that infliximab is long-term effective in resistant Behcet uveitis, improving visual prognosis and stabilising clinical course of disease in a large cohort of patients with various pattern of BD including neuro-behcet forms.

Efficacy of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy for extra-articular manifestations in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a meta-analysis.

BackgroundWe performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy on the frequency of extra–articular manifestations (EAMs) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).MethodsWe searched with the terms ‘ankylosing spondylitis’, ‘infliximab’, ‘etanercept’, ‘adalimumab’, ‘golimumab’, ‘certolizumab’, ‘TNF inhibitor/blocker/antagonists’ or ‘anti-TNF’ on MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ≥12 weeks with parallel or crossover design of TNF inhibitor versus placebo to treat uveitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and/or psoriasis of AS, published before February 2014.ResultsWe found 8 RCTs that fit our criteria. Anti–TNF therapy was associated with less uveitis than placebo in patients with AS (OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.15–0.81, P = 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed receptor fusion proteins were more efficacious for uveitis than placebo (OR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.09–0.94, P = 0.04), but monoclonal antibodies were not (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.12–1.49, P = 0.18). Anti–TNF therapy and placebo group did not significantly differ in treating IBD in AS patients (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.25–2.29, P = 0.61). In subgroup analysis, neither monoclonal antibodies (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.10–1.92, P = 0.28) nor receptor fusion proteins (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 0.25–9.25, P = 0.65) significantly differed from placebo in treating IBD. We found no suitable reports on psoriasis.ConclusionsAnti–TNF therapy was preventive for flares or new onset of uveitis in AS patients, and might be an alternative for these patients. However, monoclonal anti–TNF antibodies and TNF receptor fusion proteins were not efficacious for IBD in AS patients.

Comparing Prednisone and Methotrexate to Off-label Biologic Infliximab for Management of Ocular Uveitis: A Cost-minimization Analysis.

Background: Approximately 3.75% of cases of blindness in the United States are caused by uveitis. Incurred clinical costs and lost productivity related to vision loss in these cases totals $3.58 billion annually. Objective: To evaluate whether infliximab, a modern off-label biologic, is cost-effective for treating posterior uveitis and panuveitis compared to current standards of care, methotrexate and prednisone. Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model to simulate a patient cohort with posterior uveitis or panuveitis. The model followed patients' therapy from the onset of posterior uveitis or panuveitis using the U.S. societal perspective. The lifetime model simulated health states that could lead to successful reversal of uveitis with standard or intensified treatment with prednisone, methotrexate, or infliximab. Probabilities, health utilities, and costs were included in the model based on findings from the literature. We conducted univariate sensitivity analyses and a Bayesian multivariate probablistic sensitivity analysis to estimate uncertainty in results. Outcomes were measured in terms of costs ($US, 2010) and effects (qualityadjusted life years; QALYs) discounted at 3% per year were estimated for each simulated treatment. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for pairwise results was interpretted assuming a predetermined willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY. Results: Average lifetime costs and QALYs for each drug were ($306.95; 15.80 QALYs) for prednisone, methotrexate ($36,232.24; 16.21 QALYs), and inflixmab ($74,762.63; 15.04 QALYs). Methotrexate was on average compared to prednisone, with an ICER of $86,901.16/QALY. Prednisone and methotrexate dominated infliximab. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the model was most sensitive to the utility for successful recovery from uveitis. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis returned results similar to the base case. Conclusion: This cost-effectiveness analysis suggests that despite advances in the use of biologics for treating sight-threatening posterior uveitis and panuveitis, infliximab had lower effectiveness and higher costs compared to both prednisone and methotrexate. As compared to prednisone, methotrexate was associated with increased costs and QALYs and was found to be a good value. Clinical trials of infliximab in the uveitis population are needed to reduce the uncertain estimates of inflixmab treatment success and the drug's cost-effectiveness.

Long-Term Visual Prognosis of Peripheral Multifocal Chorioretinitis

To report on the clinical manifestations, complications, and long-term visual prognosis of patients with peripheral multifocal chorioretinitis and to search for predictors for a lower visual outcome. Retrospective consecutive observational case series. setting: Institutional. 134 eyes in 69 patients with a minimum follow-up period of 5 years. Clinical characteristics were recorded as well as the visual acuity (VA) at the onset of uveitis; after 1, 5, and 10 years; and at the end of the follow-up period. Visual acuity, clinical features and complications, required medications and surgeries. The majority of the patients were elderly women with chronic bilateral ocular involvement, who developed multiple ocular complications over time. Systemic sarcoidosis was present in 39% of patients. In addition to peripheral retinal lesions and vitritis, papillitis was present in 95% of cases. The major complications included macular edema (91%), cataract (93%), glaucoma (35%), and optic disc atrophy (25%). The treatment regimens included systemic corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive drugs in 44% of patients, and 84% of patients required intraocular surgery. One third of the affected eyes developed VA <20/40 at 5-10 years of follow-up. VA at 1 year was the most important predictor of visual outcome at 5 and 10 years (P< .001). Peripheral multifocal chorioretinitis was associated with a high prevalence of cataract, macular edema, optic disc atrophy, and glaucoma. Despite the chronic course of the disease, multiple complications, and surgical interventions, the majority of patients achieved satisfactory long-term visual acuity.

The Incidence of Uveitis in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients Undergoing Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibiting Therapy in Korea

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that primarily affects the sacroiliac joints and causes inflammatory back pain, is often accompanied by inflammatory extra-articular manifestations such as Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, and uveitis [1]. In a systematic literature review of extra-articular manifestations in patients with AS, acute anterior uveitis (26%) was more common than psoriasis (9%) or inflammatory bowel disease (7%) [2]. Other studies have estimated that 25% to 50% of patients experience at least one episode of uveitis during the course of AS. Characteristics of uveitis in patients with AS include predominantly acute, unilateral onset; anterior location; strong association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 positivity; and tendency to recur, often in the opposite eye. In addition, the incidence of uveitis increases with longer disease duration, ranging from 17% for patients with disease duration ＜10 years to 39% for patients with disease duration ＞20 years [2]. Uveitis is a painful, often recurrent, and potentially serious inflammation of the eye. It is the most preventable cause of blindness worldwide and also has a negative effect on health-related quality of life. AS patients with extraarticular manifestations utilize more medical resources and incur more health care costs compared with AS patients who do not develop extra-articular manifestations. Complications of inadequately treated uveitis include cataract formation, glaucoma, and maculopathy, all of which can lead to visual acuity loss and ultimately blindness. In patients with spondyloarthropathies, uveitis was associated with reduced visual acuity in 8% of patients; and approximately 50% of patients had at least one recurrent flare [3]. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is involved in the pathogenesis of both uveitis and AS. TNF is elevated in the aqueous humor and serum of patients affected by uveitis and the joints of patients with AS. Anti-TNF therapy has been shown to reduce ocular inflammation and preserve vision in patients with sight-threatening uveitis, and there is considerable interest in the use of biologic treatments for uveitis and other ocular inflammatory disorders. The anti-TNF agents adalimumab and infliximab have been shown to reduce uveitis flares in patients with AS [4,5], whereas evidence for the ability of etanercept to prevent uveitis flares is mixed [5,6]. Conversely, uveitis develops in some patients, whose articular symptoms are well controlled with anti-TNF therapy, suggesting that the ocular and articular inflammation develop via different pathways. The degree to which new-onset uveitis occurs in patients receiving anti-TNF therapy has been characterized in a retrospective cohort study, with the majority of cases occurring during therapy with etanercept; of 31 cases of uveitis identified, 19 were in AS, 4 were in psoriatic arthritis, 6 were in rheumatoid arthritis, and 2 were in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Of the 19 cases associated with AS, that anti-TNF agent at the time of the first onset of uveitis was etanercept in 12 cases, infliximab in 4 cases, and adalimumab in 3 cases; the pattern of results was similar among 121 cases identified in a systematic literature review [6]. In South Korea, Kim et al. [7]. re

Endogenous endophthalmitis following prolong use of methotrexate

A 46 yr old male presented to us with a 2 day history of pain, redness and discharge in left eye. The patient was on oral Methotrexate (12.5 mg) weekly with folic acid supplement for the last 1 year for recurrent Uveitis (LE). There was a history of three previous episodes of acute anterior uveitis in left eye 2 years back for which he was prescribed oral steroids. The uveitis attack use to flare up on tapering the steroids. In the hope to reduce the recurrences and to prevent long-term complications, the patient was shifted to oral methotrexate (12.5 mg) weekly with folic acid supplementation. On the basis of clinical examination and B- scan a presumptive diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis was made. Vitreous tap revealed a straw colored sample and the culture subsequently grew methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus epidermidis. Intravitreal injection of (Piperacillin+Tazobactum) 225 microgram in 0.1 ml was administered. In addition, intravenous (piperacillin+tazobactum) 4.5 gram BD was given for 3 days. Post intra vitreal injection the symtoms and signs resolved remarkably. Methotrexate has not been previously implicated with endogenous endophthalmitis. Besides, Endogenous endophthalmitis is an ongoing diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma for ophthalmologists as it is relatively rare and often presents like uveitis. It requires a high index of suspicion for prompt diagnosis and treatment. The treatment of EE is still controversial due to a lack of clinical trials. Future large group studies need to be done for validation of the above therapeutic regime.

Uveitis associated with multiple sclerosis: complications and visual prognosis.

To determine the frequency, subtype, complications, treatment and visual prognosis of uveitis in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A total of 1702 MS patients' medical records were reviewed for a history of uveitis both with a neurologist and an ophthalmologist. Nine patients (0.52%) with uveitis were detected. Eight of them were female, one was male. The mean age was 42.0±14.1y (range 22-66). Seven patients were relapsing remitting MS, two were secondary progressive MS. The mean duration of MS was 10.8±10.3y, and the mean duration of uveitis 10.3±9.9y. The onset of uveitis preceded that of MS (four patients) by a mean of 5.0±4.3y (range 1-11). MS diagnosed prior to the onset of uveitis (five patients) by an interval of 0.75-16y (mean 4.95±6.24y). There were 16 affected eyes of nine patients. The most common types of uveitis were panuveitis and intermediate uveitis. Uveitis was bilateral in most patients. The most common complications were cataract and glaucoma, and patients with such complications were surgically treated. The range of visual acuity of affected eyes was 20/800 to 20/22, with only six of 16 affected eyes better than 20/40. After treatment, the visual acuity of the affected eyes was better than 20/40 in 11 of 16 eyes. Uveitis should be considered when assessing an MS patient with visual loss, as surgical interventions other than medical treatments may be needed to improve visual function. Complications could be seen more often when posterior segment is involved.

Treatment with melatonin after onset of experimental uveitis attenuates ocular inflammation.

Uveitis is a prevalent intraocular inflammatory disease and one of the most damaging ocular conditions. Pretreatment with melatonin prevented ocular inflammation induced by an intravitreal injection of bacterial LPS in the Syrian hamster. Here, we have assessed the anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin administered after the onset of ocular inflammation. The eyes of male Syrian hamsters were intravitreally injected with vehicle or LPS. Melatonin was injected i.p. every 24 h, starting 12 or 24 h after the LPS injection. A clinical evaluation (with a score index based on clinical symptoms), the number of infiltrating cells, protein concentration and PGE2 and PGF2α levels in the aqueous humour, as well as retinal NOS activity, lipid peroxidation and TNF-α levels were assessed. Retinal function was assessed by scotopic electroretinography, and light microscopy and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the state of the retinal structure. Both treatment regimens with melatonin decreased clinical symptoms, reduced the leakage of cells and proteins, and decreased PG levels in aqueous humour from eyes injected with LPS. In addition, melatonin treatment blocked the decrease in scotopic electroretinogram a- and b-wave amplitude, protected the retinal structure and reduced the increase in NOS activity, lipid peroxidation and TNF-α levels, induced by LPS. These results indicate that treatment with melatonin, starting after the onset of uveitis, attenuated ocular inflammation induced by LPS in the Syrian hamster and support the use of melatonin as a therapeutic resource for uveitis treatment.

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate as Baseline Predictor for the Development of Uveitis in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

To analyze inflammatory parameters as possible predictors for the development of uveitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients. Further, to analyze the predictive value of demographic and clinical factors at the onset of arthritis. Retrospective cohort study. In 358 children with oligoarthritis and rheumatoid factor-negative polyarthritis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein, leukocyte count, presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA), presence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA-)B27, age of onset of JIA, and sex were analyzed for their predictive value for the onset of uveitis. One hundred forty-seven patients (41%) were diagnosed with chronic anterior uveitis. Young age of onset, presence of ANA, and elevated ESR appeared to be predictive factors according to univariate analyses (P = .029, P = .007, and P = 5E(-4), respectively). According to multivariate analysis, young age of onset and elevated ESR appeared to be predictive after adjusting for the other relevant factors (P = .004 and P = .001, respectively). A prediction model was developed. Elevated ESR appears to be a predictor for the occurrence of uveitis in patients with JIA. Since ESR is already routinely tested in patients with recently diagnosed arthritis, its use as a biomarker can easily be implemented in daily practice.

PROGRESSION AND OUTCOMES OF UVEITIS IN PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDILITIS

Uveitis is a common extraskeletal manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) occurring in 20–40% of patients. Most authors underline a favorable prognosis for AS-associated uveitis. Objective: to study features of clinical picture and progression of AS-associated uveitis and to estimate the occurrence of its complications. Subjects and methods. Across-sectional study of 140 patients (98 males and 42 females) with AS, who had at least one uveitis attack over the period of disease and was followed up at V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology during 2008–2012. In addition to standard rheumatologic examination all patients were examined by ophthalmologist. Biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, tonometry, computer-assisted perimetry, ultrasonography (B-scanning) of eyes and, if needed, fluorescein angiography and electrophysiological examination of retina were performed. Localization of uveitis, presence of complications affecting vision, total number of uveitis attacks by the moment of examination, mean number of uveitis attacks per year, correlation between the frequency of attacks and complications, presence of other extraskeletal manifestations and peripheral arthritis were assessed. The total number of uveitis attacks was defined from patients' interviews and respective medical documentation. Mean number of uveitis attacks was calculated as ratio of total number of uveitis attacks to the duration of disease for each patient. In the case of more than two attacks per year uveitis progression was considered refractory. Results. Mean duration of the disease was 17.7±11.03 years. In 19 patients (14%) AS manifested before and in 121 (86%) – after the age of 16 years. HLA-B27 was revealed in 135 (96%) patients, peripheral arthritis – in 43 (30%), whereas other extraskeletal manifestations – in 46 (32%). Early onset of uveitis in first 10 years of the disease was recorded in 81 (58%) patients, after10 years – in 21 (15%). Uveitis was the first clinical symptom of AS in 37 (26.4%) patients. 33 (24%) patients had more than 10 uveitis attacks during the disease, 17 (12%) – more than two attacks per year, whereas 18 (13%) had chronic uveitis. 118 (84%) had localized iridocyclitis, 12 (8%) – panuveitis, 2 (1%) – localized posterior uveitis. 122 (87%) patients had unilateral uveitis, 18 (13%) – bilateral, whereas 45 (36%) – alternating eye lesions (OD-OS). Uveitis complicated with vision impairment was observed in 41 (29%) patients: synechia in 26 (18%), vitreous degeneration – in 20 (14%), cataract – in 32 (23%), glaucoma – in 13 (9%), maculopathy – in 6 (4%), ribbon-like retinal degeneration – in 6 (4%), partial optic nerve atrophy – in 3 (2%). Authors revealed direct correlation between frequency of uveitis attacks and occurrence of synechia, cataract, glaucoma, vitreous degeneration. Conclusion. AS-associated uveitis is predominantly characterized by unilateral iridocyclitis (84%) and the onset in the first 10 years of disease (84.4%); 25% of cases were remarkable for frequent relapses: more than two attacks per year and more than 10 during the period of disease. One third of patients demonstrated vision impairments, and its progression correlated with the frequency of uveitis attacks.

Optic nerve and retinal features in uveitis associated with juvenile systemic granulomatous disease (Blau syndrome).

To determine whether patients with juvenile systemic granulomatous disease (JSGD) (Blau syndrome) and uveitis have a characteristic ocular phenotype. Clinical and imaging data were collected retrospectively from patients attending the Regional Combined Paediatric Rheumatology and Ocular Inflammatory Service, Bristol Eye Hospital. General demographic information, laterality of the uveitis, age at onset, anatomical classification and course of the uveitis, clinical phenotype and specific NOD2 mutation were recorded for each patient. Seventeen eyes from nine patients (five males; four females) were included in the study. Mean age at the disease onset was 15 months, range 1-84 months. Eight patients had bilateral uveitis. Anterior uveitis was present in five eyes, intermediate uveitis in two eyes, and there were 10 eyes with panuveitis, manifesting as multifocal choroiditis. Appearance of optic disc included indistinct disc margins in six eyes, optic nerve head pallor in six eyes, optic disc vessel sheathing in four eyes, and there was peripapillary hypo/hyperpigmentation in 13 eyes accompanied with characteristic peripapillary nodular excrescences. Among NOD2 mutations, the p.R334W was the most commonly detected (n: four cases), and three patients carried novel variants, the p.E338D and p.D390V variants in one patient, and the p.H520Y and p.Q809K variants in two different patients. Chronic bilateral panuveitis and a nodular peripapillary appearance in childhood onset uveitis are characteristic features of JSGD, which support the need for an appropriate genetic NOD2 analysis.

Signs and symptoms of uveitis

AbstractInflammation of uveal tract can be divided into: anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis. Uveitis can be a sight‐threatening disease. The commonest ocular symptoms are: blurred vision, ocular pain, photophobia and floaters, depending on the type of uveitis. The onset of uveitis can be either acute or insidious, involving one or both eyes. Posterior uveitis is usually associated with vitritis. Anterior chamber cells and flare should be graded according to standardized uveitis nomenclature (SUN) working group. Binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy (BIO) score is used to grade vitreous involvement. Vitreous changes may comprehend: vitreous hemorrhage, vitreous strands, and vitreous traction. A further classification of posterior uveitis depends on the primary site of inflammation, which can identify: retinitis, choroiditis, retinochoroiditis, and chorioretinitis. Posterior pole uveal involvement can be: focal, multifocal, and placoid. Retinal vasculitis can be associated with several sub‐types of posterior uveitis. Uveitis can present several complications such as, anterior and posterior synechiae, which can lead to uveitic glaucoma, cystoid macular oedema, retinal and choroidal neovascularizations, and retinal ischemia.

When the clinician has to rely on disease phenotype alone for diagnosis: the example of Behçet’s uveitis

AbstractBehçet’s disease (BD) is a complex inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks in multiple organ systems There is no specific diagnostic test. Clinical diagnostic criteria have been developed based on the presence of characteristic ocular and systemic inflammatory manifestations. However, ocular lesions defined in the current sets of diagnostic or classification criteria are nonspecific. It is important to recognize characteristic features of BD uveitis because there are BD patients with other forms of uveitis by coincidence, and patients with typical ocular involvement but without systemic manifestations of the disease. The course of the disease is characterized by recurrent nongranulomatous uveitis attacks of variable severity. Transient nature of the acute inflammatory signs is the most important diagnostic clue. Transient retinal infiltrates and inferior peripheral pearl‐like precipitates are the pathognomonic findings that help differentiating BD uveitis from other causes of panuveitis and retinal vasculitis.

Adalimumab significantly reduces the recurrence rate of anterior uveitis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

To investigate whether use of adalimumab decreases the frequency of attacks of anterior uveitis (AU) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Consecutive patients with AS, visiting an outpatient clinic and treated for at least 12 weeks with adalimumab, were enrolled. The number of attacks of AU in the year before start and during treatment were assessed by patient history and ophthalmological controls. In the 77 patients a total of 52 AU attacks occurred in the year before baseline (68 attacks per 100 patient-yrs), whereas during adalimumab treatment 19 attacks were seen (14 per 100 patient-yrs; reduction rate 80%). Twenty-six patients with AU in the year before start of adalimumab treatment had recurrent attacks, with a median number of 2.0 AU attacks per year [interquartile range (IQR) 1.00-3.00], whereas during treatment this decreased to 10 patients with a median number of 0.56 attacks per year (IQR 0.30-0.75). Hence, the number of attacks per year decreased by 72% (p = 0.000). In patients with AS, a significant reduction in the number of AU attacks, as well as in the number of attacks per patient, was observed during adalimumab treatment.

THU0067 The Incidence of New Onset and Recurrent Uveitis in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients during TNF Inhibitor Therapy in Korean

BackgroundIn ankylosing spondylitis (AS), uveitis is one of serious extra-articular manifestation and the recurrence has known to be reduced by treatment with TNF inhibitor (TNFi). However, new onset or recurrent...

AB0669 Incidence of Acute Anterior Uveitis in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis during Anti-TNF Therapy in Slovakia

BackgroundTNF-α inhibitors are highly effective for signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) including acute anterior uveitis (AAU). However, there are some concerns that etanercept does not seem to prevent...