The Occurrence Timeline of Steroid-induced Ocular Hypertension and Cataract in Children With Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

Abstract

\n Purpose Steroid-induced ocular hypertension (SIOH) and cataract can result in visual loss. This study evaluated the timetable of SIOH and steroid-induced posterior subcapsular cataract (SI-PSC) occurrences in children with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) undergoing long-term systemic corticosteroid treatment.Methods Thirty-seven children with SAD treated with long-term oral corticosteroids were enrolled in this study. Intraocular pressure (IOP), SI-PSC occurrences, visual field and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL) thicknesses were recorded every 3 months for at least 6 months.Results Of the 37 children, with average age 11.0±2.9 years, 22 patients (59.5%) had SIOH, 2 progressed as glaucoma at the 18-month and 3-year follow-up respectively and 12 (32.4%) patients had SI-PSC. Among patients with SIOH, 45.5% (10/22) of them had SI-PSC occurrences and among patients with normal IOP, 13.3% (2/15) of them had SI-PSC. Seventeen patients participated in a longitudinal study with a follow-up period of at least 18 months. The incidence of SIOH started at 1 month (52%, 9/17) and gradually increased to its peak value (70.6%,12/17) at 6 months, then decreased to 35.3% (6/17). SI-PSC onset started at 6 months (17.6%, 3/17), and its occurrence increased to 35.3% (6/17) at 12 months and reached to 41.2% (7/17) at 18 months. The pRNFL was thicker in the children with SIOH than the healthy controls (p = 0.01).Conclusion SIOH and SI-PSC are common coexistent complications in children with long-term corticosteroids treatment and the occurrence time is during the first month and 6 months, respectively. Patients with SIOH have a higher probability of cataract.