Occurrence of uveitis in a population-based cohort of inflammatory bowel diseases followed for 10 years: an observational study

OBJECTIVE: The coexistence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and uveitis has been known for 100 years. The reported frequency by which these conditions appear in the same patient has varied considerably. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of uveitis in a well-defined population-based cohort of patients with IBD including all age groups and followed for at least 10 years. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: All newly diagnosed patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease in the county of Uppsala between 2005 and 2009 were prospectively followed. At the end of 2022, the medical notes were checked and all contacts with the healthcare system regarding ocular symptoms were scrutinised. RESULTS: A total of 330 patients with ulcerative colitis and 153 patients with Crohn’s disease were included in the cohort. Four hundred and forty-two of these (91.5%) could be followed for 10 years or until death. Thirteen patients with ulcerative colitis were affected by uveitis (3.9%), and one of the patients with Crohn’s disease (0.7%). Most often the uveitis was diagnosed after the bowel disease (median 8.9 years, 7.7 years SD). CONCLUSION: Low occurrence of uveitis was identified in the IBD population. All affected individuals except one were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Most of the patients had their eye disease around 10 years later than their IBD diagnosis. It is suggested that systemic anti-inflammatory treatment for the IBD protects against intraocular inflammation in this cohort.