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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Induction of Ocular Surface Inflammation and Collection of Involved Tissues
Published on: August 4, 2022
The prevalence of ocular involvement in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Safiye Yilmaz1, Ebru Aydemir, Ahmet Maden
1Department of the Ophthalmology, Izmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Mustafa Kemal Cad. No. 36/4, Izmir, Bornova 35040, Turkey. safiyekucukbay@hotmail.com
Purpose:
The aim of this prospective randomized clinical study was to evaluate the prevalence of ocular involvement in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Materials And Methods:
We prospectively evaluated 116 patients who went to the gastroenterology clinic with endoscopically proven IBD between December 2001 and February 2005. All patients were examined for evidence of ocular manifestations of IBD. Twenty patients had Crohn's disease and 96 had ulcerative colitis. The examination consisted of slit-lamp examinations, tonometry, visual acuity, and indirect ophthalmoscopy.
Results:
The mean age of the 116 patients with IBD who were enrolled was 40.6 +/- 14.4 years (range 16 to 75). Twelve of 20 patients (60%) with Crohn's disease and 22 of 96 patients (22.92%) with ulcerative colitis had ocular involvement. The most common ocular findings were conjunctivitis (8.62%) and blepharitis (6.9%) followed by uveitis (5.17%), cataract (5.17%), and episcleritis (3.45%). Extraintestinal complications were seen in 12 (35.3%) of 34 patients with ocular involvement and in 16 (19.5%) of 82 patients without ocular involvement.
Conclusion:
Because the ocular complaints of IBD patients are often nonspecific, it may be helpful to performed eye examinations as a routine component in the follow-up of these patients. It is well-known that early diagnosis and treatment of ocular involvement may prevent serious ocular complications that could be associated with significant visual morbidity. In addition, clinicians should be aware that some ocular diseases, such as uveitis and scleritis, might precede a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
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