Ocular manifestations of crohn's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Ocular involvement in Crohn's disease is rare and polymorphic. AIM: To analyze the frequency and type of ocular manifestations during Crohn's disease as well as the risk factors for ocular involvement during this disease. METHODS: This is a prospective study of 52 patients (104 eyes) with Crohn's disease treated at the regional hospital of Nabeul between January 2016 and December 2016. Patients were divided into two groups: a group with ocular manifestations and a group without ocular manifestations. All the patients benefited from a complete ophthalmological examination. Fluorescein angiography and macular OCT were done in cases of posterior segment involvement. RESULTS: Patients with ocular manifestations were younger than those of group 2 without ocular manifestations with an average age of 34.5 years and 42 years, respectively. The colonic localization of the disease was found in 13 patients of group 1 (52%) and only in 2 patients of group 2 (7.4%). Extradigestive manifestations were noted in 12 patients of group 1 (48%) and 1 patient of group 2 (3.7%). For group 1, 60% of cases (15 patients) were in an active episode of inflammatory bowel disease versus 7.4% (2 patients) in group 2. Anterior uveitis was the most frequent ocular manifestation in our study, found in 29,3% of cases (12 patients). CONCLUSION: The ocular manifestations are more frequent in young people, during the inflammatory activity of the disease especially in colonic localization, during the first year of the follow-up of the disease and in the case of coexistence of articular or oral extra-intestinal manifestations.