Treatment Algorithm for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Iridocyclitis

Great progress has been made during the latter half of this century in the care of patients with iridocyclitis associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The most major advance was the development of corticosteroids for systemic and ophthalmic use just after the mid-way point of this century, and the second major advance came through the admonitions of Jacobs and Spalter of New York and of Kanski in London for the routine screening biomicroscopic examination of youngsters with the pauciarticular form of JRA, screening for occult active intraocular inflammation, since the eyes of such patients commonly appear normal to the casual observer, and since the patients are often young and do not notice or express to parents small changes which are slowly developing as a result of active inflammation.