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Asymptomatic uveitis in young people with inflammatory bowel disease
P J Rychwalski1, O A Cruz, G Alanis-Lambreton
1Department of Ophthalmology, St. Louis University Eye Institute, St. Louis University School of Medicine, USA.
Insights
The study found that 12.5% of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) had asymptomatic uveitis. This highlights the need for regular eye screenings in children with IBD to detect hidden eye conditions.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can have extraintestinal manifestations.
- Ocular involvement in pediatric IBD is not fully understood, especially in asymptomatic cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of uveitis in children with diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease.
- To identify asymptomatic ocular inflammation in pediatric patients with IBD.
Main Methods:
- Prospective evaluation of pediatric patients with endoscopically proven IBD.
- Ophthalmologic examinations including slit-lamp examination, tonometry, and indirect ophthalmoscopy were performed.
- Patients with no prior ocular symptoms were included.
Main Results:
- Four out of 32 pediatric patients (12.5%) exhibited asymptomatic ocular inflammation (anterior chamber cell and flare).
- All affected patients were male; three had Crohn's disease, and one had ulcerative colitis.
- Other ocular findings included cataract, esotropia, amblyopia, and high myopia.
Conclusions:
- Asymptomatic uveitis affects 12.5% of pediatric patients with IBD.
- Routine ophthalmologic screening is recommended for children diagnosed with IBD to detect subclinical eye disease.
- Early detection of ocular complications can prevent vision impairment in pediatric IBD patients.
Purpose:
To ascertain the prevalence of uveitis in a population of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease without ocular symptoms.
Methods:
We prospectively evaluated all young people who came to the pediatric gastroenterology clinic with endoscopically proven inflammatory bowel disease between March 1994 and June 1995. All the patients were examined for evidence of ocular manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease. The examination consisted of slit-lamp examination, tonometry, and indirect ophthalmoscopy. None of the patients had visual or ocular symptoms. Eighteen patients had Crohn's disease and 14 had ulcerative colitis.
Results:
Of the 32 patients evaluated, four (12.5%) had evidence of asymptomatic ocular inflammation, defined as anterior chamber cell and flare. All patients with ocular inflammation were male. Three of these four male patients had Crohn's disease; the other had ulcerative colitis. Five patients had posterior subcapsular cataract, one had esotropia and amblyopia, and one had unilateral high myopia.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of asymptomatic uveitis in our population of young people with inflammatory bowel disease was 12.5%. These findings suggest the need for a screening ophthalmologic examination to rule out occult eye disease in young people with inflammatory bowel disease.