Reactivation of juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated uveitis with posterior segment manifestations following anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in the pediatric population and anterior uveitis is its commonest extra-articular manifestation. Typically the uveitis presents as chronic anterior uveitis and there is limited literature of the posterior segment manifestations of the disease. Similar to other vaccines, anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination that began as an urgent measure to control the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has not been without adverse events. We are reporting a 19-year-old Asian Indian female who was diagnosed and treated for JIA associated anterior uveitis that was unilateral and was under anti-inflammatory control but showed worsening of uveitis with posterior segment inflammation in both eyes following anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. CASE REPORT: A 19-year-old Asian Indian female with a history of juvenile idiopathic arthritis on treatment with methotrexate, presented with right eye chronic anterior uveitis with peripheral subclinical retinal vasculitis and macular edema which was brought under control following administration of adalimumab. She was inflammation free for 6 months until she received anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and developed new onset floaters in both eyes that were initially noted after the first dose and increased after the second dose. Clinical examination revealed presence of keratic precipitates and grade 1+ anterior chamber inflammation along with vitiritis in both eyes. Fundus fluorescein angiography revealed angiographically active retinal vasculitis without the presence of macular edema in both eyes. This was managed with a short course of topical difluprednate and continuation of systemic immunosuppressive therapy with adalimumab and methotrexate. CONCLUSION: JIA associated uveitis results from an autoimmune process which can be controlled with timely immunosuppressive treatment. It is important to be aware of the potential risk of flare up of uveitis with posterior segment manifestations following anti- SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Management of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis duringthe COVID-19 pandemic in a pediatric referral center in Lombardy.

Italy was the first European country to be affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In this scenario, we had to face a new clinical approach in our Pediatric Rheumatology Unit for the management of patients affected by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis. During the lockdown (phase 1), the weekly outpatient clinic was discontinued and telephone consultations were set up. A toll-free telephone number was instituted for emergencies. None of our children with JIA-associated uveitis was advised to stop the ongoing immunosuppressant systemic therapy. We had no cases of COVID-19 infection and uveitis activity was under control in all but two out of 125 patients, which was comparable with the pre-COVID-19 situation. During phase 2 of the pandemic, hospital and ambulatory rearrangements were made to minimize the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, during the first 4 weeks of phase 2, we did not notice an increased number of patients with uveitis activity.