Asymptomatic transient uveitis in children with inflammatory bowel disease
F. Daum, H. B. Gould, D. Gold, G. Dinari, A. H. Friedman, P. Zucker and M. I. Cohen
Although acute anterior uveitis has been noted in children with
inflammatory bowel disease, it has not been appreciated in the absence of
ocular symptoms. To determine the presence of asymptomatic uveitis,
slit-lamp examinations were performed in 19 children with granulomatous
bowel disease and seven with ulcerative colitis. In the former group, six
had uveitis, while no abnormalities were noted in those with ulcerative
colitis. Abnormalities consisted of cells and flare in the anterior
chamber. In the group with asymptomatic uveitis, all were male, three were
black, and all had colonic involvement. No positive correlations were noted
between the presence of uveitis and bowel symptoms, duration of illness,
extraintestinal manifestations, or specific treatment regimens. None of the
six children with uveitis had evidence of spondylitis, and five were
HLA-B27-negative. Repeated eye examinations six to 12 months later
disclosed no evidence of uveitis in four of five children and improvement
in the remaining child. These data suggest that asymptomatic transient
uveitis is common in children with granulomatous bowel disease, but
progression to severe adult uveal disease remains unclear.
