The influence of uveitis on patients with immune-mediated inflammatory disease

Abstract

Uveitis, defined as an intraocular inflammatory disease, is one of the main causes of visual impairment in the working-age population. The condition often coexists with other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) and greatly contributes to reduced quality of life (QOL) in affected individuals. While visual acuity remains the most commonly used measure of visual function in patients with uveitis, the US National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire is frequently used to assess their health-related QOL. However, despite intuition that coexisting uveitis might exaggerate already impaired QOL in patients with IMID, specific questions related to their visual functioning are rarely included in clinical trials or assessed in daily practice. We provide an overview of the occurrence and significance of uveitis in patients with IMID, its consequences, and the role of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors in overall treatment approaches. The Journal of Rheumatology Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved.