Changing face of non-infectious pediatric uveitis in the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods: a comparison study.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim in this study was to reveal the clinical features of pediatric uveitis in the pandemic period and to compare it with the pre-pandemic era. METHODS: This retrospective study included 187 children diagnosed with uveitis between the 11th of March 2017 and the 11th of March 2022. The patients were divided into two groups based on the date of diagnosis as follows; Group 1: Patients diagnosed in the pre-pandemic period (11th March 2017-11th March 2020); Group 2: Patients diagnosed in the pandemic period (12th March 2020-11th March 2022). Demographic data, characteristics of uveitis, underlying diseases, systemic treatment modalities, and complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 187 (pre-pandemic 71, and pandemic 114) pediatric uveitis patients were recruited to the study. Fifty one percent (51%) of the patients were female. The number of patients diagnosed with uveitis increased approximately twice during the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. The frequency of anterior uveitis was found to be significantly higher in the pandemic period than in the pre-pandemic period (p = 0.037). It was mostly presented as symptomatic uveitis. There was a decrease in the diagnosis of JIA-related uveitis. ANA positivity increased in the pandemic period (p = 0.029). The response to treatment was better and the complication rate decreased in the pandemic period. CONCLUSION: The present study involved a large number of pediatric patients with uveitis. There are some differences in the characteristics of pediatric uveitis cases comparing the pandemic period and the pre-pandemic period. This increased frequency and changing clinical features of pediatric uveitis seems to be a result of COVID-19 infection.

Safety of COVID-19 vaccines and disease flares after vaccines in children with rheumatic disease.

OBJECTIVES: Wide spread availability of safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19 in all countries is the best hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in developing countries, the hesitancy of the society about vaccination is an important problem in terms of public health. This study aimed to investigate the acceptability and tolerability of COVID-19 vaccines in the pediatric population diagnosed with rheumatic disease, as well as the attitudes toward these vaccines. METHODS: This is an observational, cross sectional, single center study. Pediatric patients with at least one diagnosis of rheumatic disease were included in this study to investigate patient and family acceptability and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. RESULTS: A total of 228 patients with rheumatic disease were included in this study. Ninety nine (43.4%) of the patients were juvenile idiopathic arthritis. One hundred and five (46%) of the patients were using biological agent treatment for their rheumatic disease, whereas 123 (54%) of the patients were not. No serious adverse effect related to the COVID-19 vaccine were observed in any of the patients. No disease activation was observed in any of them. CONCLUSION: There are only a few studies evaluating of the safety and disease flare of COVID-19 vaccines in children with rheumatic disease. Although this study has some limitations, such as the small sample size of patients with different diagnoses, it appears that there is no increase in COVID-19 vaccination-related harms in the patients with rheumatic disease.