Peter K Rabiah1, Albert T Vitale. 1. Department of Ophthalmology, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. prabiah@enh.org
Abstract
PURPOSE: To report the course of uveitis disease activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period in women with noninfectious uveitis. DESIGN: Observational case series. METHODS: The medical records of women with noninfectious uveitis and pregnancy during follow-up at a large eye hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with pregnancy were included in the study if follow-up was adequate to document the presence or absence of flare-ups in uveitis activity during the pregnancy and/or postpartum period. RESULTS: Seventy-six pregnancies among 50 women were included in the study. Thirty-three pregnancies were in women with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, 19 were in women with Behcet disease, and 24 were in women with idiopathic uveitis. A flare-up in uveitis activity occurred within the first 4 months of pregnancy in 49 of 76 cases (64%) and later in pregnancy in 17 cases (22%); no flare-up occurred during pregnancy in 21 cases (28%). An early pregnancy flare-up was typical of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease and idiopathic uveitis. A flare-up within 6 months of delivery occurred in 38 of 59 cases (64%) that had adequate examination data available from the postpartum period. The postpartum flare-up was especially typical of Behcet disease. CONCLUSIONS: Many women with noninfectious uveitis will experience a flare-up in disease activity within the first 4 months of pregnancy. Later pregnancy appears to be a time of relative disease inactivity. Many will experience a rebound in activity within 6 months of delivery.
PURPOSE: To report the course of uveitis disease activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period in women with noninfectious uveitis. DESIGN: Observational case series. METHODS: The medical records of women with noninfectious uveitis and pregnancy during follow-up at a large eye hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with pregnancy were included in the study if follow-up was adequate to document the presence or absence of flare-ups in uveitis activity during the pregnancy and/or postpartum period. RESULTS: Seventy-six pregnancies among 50 women were included in the study. Thirty-three pregnancies were in women with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, 19 were in women with Behcet disease, and 24 were in women with idiopathic uveitis. A flare-up in uveitis activity occurred within the first 4 months of pregnancy in 49 of 76 cases (64%) and later in pregnancy in 17 cases (22%); no flare-up occurred during pregnancy in 21 cases (28%). An early pregnancy flare-up was typical of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease and idiopathic uveitis. A flare-up within 6 months of delivery occurred in 38 of 59 cases (64%) that had adequate examination data available from the postpartum period. The postpartum flare-up was especially typical of Behcet disease. CONCLUSIONS: Many women with noninfectious uveitis will experience a flare-up in disease activity within the first 4 months of pregnancy. Later pregnancy appears to be a time of relative disease inactivity. Many will experience a rebound in activity within 6 months of delivery.
Authors: Arthur M D Braakenburg; Catherine M Crespi; Gary N Holland; Sheng Wu; Fei Yu; Aniki Rothova Journal: Am J Ophthalmol Date: 2014-01-09 Impact factor: 5.258