Spectrum and frequency of ophthalmologic manifestations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A prospective single-center study

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I have iridocyclitis, bilateral steroid induced cataracts and severe dry eye. I have had annual, sometimes twice yearly check-ups with an opthalmologist for the past 20 years. I know that many IBD patients don't get that recommendation.......

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http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120775693/abstract?CRETRY=1 & SRETRY=0

Original Article

Spectrum and frequency of ophthalmologic manifestations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A prospective single-center study

Taxiarchis Felekis, MD 1, Konstantinos Katsanos, MD 2, Margarita Kitsanou, MD 2, Nikolaos Trakos, MD 1, Vasileios Theopistos, MD 2, Dimitrios Christodoulou, MD 2, Ioannis Asproudis, MD, PhD 1, Epameinondas V. Tsianos, MD, PhD 2 *

1Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece21st Department of Internal Medicine, & Hepato-Gastroenterology Unit, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

email: Epameinondas V. Tsianos (etsianos@...)

*Correspondence to Epameinondas V. Tsianos, 1st Department of Internal Medicine & Hepato-Gastroenterology Unit, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 451 10 Ioannina, Greece

The first 2 authors contributed equally.

Keywords

inflammatory bowel disease • Crohn's disease • ulcerative colitis • eyes • ophthalmologic manifestations

Abstract

Background: The frequency and spectrum of ophthalmologic manifestations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been reported to vary among studies; however, rare and silent manifestations have not been extensively studied.

Methods: This was a prospective study of 60 patients diagnosed with IBD who underwent full ophthalmologic examination, including visual acuity, slit lamp examination of the anterior segments, intraocular pressure, and fundus examination accompanied by color photography. Thirty-seven (61,7%) patients were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 23 (38,3%) with Crohn's disease (CD). Data from 276 control individuals were used for the determination of the prevalence of dry eye in our area.

Results: Ophthalmologic manifestations were diagnosed in 26 (43%) patients (14 UC, 12 CD; 12 males and 14 females). Conjunctivitis was diagnosed in 1 patient (CD), episcleritis in 2 patients (UC), and iridocyclitis in 3 (CD). Fundus examination showed 1 patient (CD) with unilateral choroiditis, 1 (UC) with retinal vasculitis, and 1 (CD) with optic neuritis. Retinal pigment epithelium disturbances (RPED) were present in 3 patients (1 CD, 2 UC) and 2 had serous retinal detachment. In total, 13/60 patients (22%) had dry eye compared with the 11% prevalence in controls. Eight patients developed glucocorticosteroid-induced cataracts, 2 of them treated surgically.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated the prevalence of the spectrum of ophthalmologic manifestations in the IBD population, including some rare and silent findings that may merit consideration and early intervention.

(Inflamm Bowel Dis 2008)

Received: 23 April 2007; Accepted: 3 June 2008

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)10.1002/ibd.20584