Outcome after cataract surgery with IOL implantation in adolescents and adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) associated or ANA-positive anterior uveitis.

PURPOSE: Cataract surgery in patients with chronic anterior uveitis may be associated with increased risk for complications and poor outcomes. This study analyses visual outcome, uveitis course and complications after cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in adolescents and adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated or antinuclear antibodies (ANA)-positive uveitis. METHODS: Data before and at 6 weeks, 1 and 2 years after surgery were retrospectively analysed according to Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) standards. Surgery was performed with small incisions, phacoemulsification and IOL implantation. Surgical technique was adapted to pre-existing uveitis-related morphological abnormalities. Predictors of visual outcome and vision-threatening complications at 2-year follow-up (FU) were analysed. RESULTS: 93 surgeries of 83 patients (84% female; mean age 24.8±16.2 years) with JIA-associated (84%) or ANA-positive (16%) anterior uveitis were analysed. Preoperative treatment included topical steroids, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs; 72.0%) or biological (b) DMARDs (65.6%). Besides cataract, uveitis-related complications (eg, fibrotic lens membrane, posterior synechiae and pupil contraction) were present in 95.7% before surgery. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) improved from 1.57±1.32 preoperatively to 0.42±0.83 at 2 years (p<0.001). Postoperative complications included posterior synechiae formation (30%), giant-cell deposits (35.7%), posterior capsule opacification (51.9%) and macular oedema (12.7%). Significant preoperative predictors of poor visual outcome included poor BCVA and high laser flare (LF) values, and those of postoperative ocular complications also included poor BCVA and a lack of systemic anti-inflammatory drug use (each, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Beneficial outcomes can be achieved following cataract surgery with IOL implantation in adolescents and adults with JIA-associated or ANA-positive anterior uveitis. Important prerequisites include preoperative inactivity, appropriate surgical technique and sustained long-term uveitis inactivity with the use of DMARDs.