Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is prevalent among children below the age of 16 and is characterized by persistent stiffness, swelling, and joint pain. Certain types of JIA can lead to severe complications such as growth retardation, ocular inflammation, and joint impairment. Eye problems can be observed in children with JIA, either as an outcome of the ailment or infrequently, as an adverse impact of certain medications. The capacity of the eye to differentiate shapes and the particulars of objects at a specific distance is denoted by visual acuity (VA). In order to detect any changes in vision, it is crucial to evaluate VA in a consistent manner. One of the most prevalent eye disorders is refractive error, which arises when the eye is incapable of accurately focusing external images. Blurred vision is the consequence of refractive errors, and in some instances, it may lead to visual impairment of such magnitude that it affects one's ability to see.
Aim of the work: to find out visual acuity abnormalities in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.
Patients and Methods: Fifty children participated with a division into two groups. The patient group comprised 30 JIA, while the control group comprised 20 subjects matched for both age and sex. CBC, ANA, ESR, CRP, KFTs, and LFTs were done. Ophthalmological examination of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA ) by A logMAR chart and refractive errors asseeement were done
Results: JIA group was classified according to diagnosis to: 25 oligo-articular JIA (83%), 3 poly-articular JIA (10%) and 2 systemic onset JIA (6.7%). Visual acuity was affected in 7 patients of Oligo articular JIA (28.0%) and none of Poly articular and systemic onset subtypes were affected. Myopia was detected in 5 of oligo-articular JIA (20%).
Conclusion: Visual acuity abnormalities and refractive errors in JIA represent an important issue which requires frequent ophthalmological examination of JIA patients.
|
