Sections on Rheumatology and Ophthalmology: Guidelines for the Frequency of Ophthalmologic Exams in Children with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

The suggested frequency of ophthalmologic visits for children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) without known iridocyclitis is presented in Table 1. Once iridocyclitis is diagnosed, the treating ophthalmologist will determine the frequency of visits.

The subtype of juvenile arthritis is determined by the systemic features of the illness and the number of joints with arthritis during the first six weeks of the illness. Pauciarticular JRA is defined by involvement of four or fewer joints, polyarticular JRA is defined by involvement of more than four joints and systemic JRA is defined by a characteristic rash associated with spiking fevers during the first six weeks of the illness.