UVESCREEN1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomised feasibility study of imaging-based uveitis screening for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
IRAS ID
332422
Contact name
Ameenat Lola Solebo
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL GOS ICH
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
awaited , Data Protection registration
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 10 days
Research summary
This study will compare imaging-based eye checks to routine clinical checking for uveitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in order to support the design of a future study.
Childhood uveitis is a potentially blinding eye disease. Half of all children with uveitis also have a joint disorder: juvenile idiopathic arthritis (or JIA). Children with JIA must travel to a specialist centre every three months to have eye examinations in an attempt to pick uveitis up early enough to prevent visual loss. Delays in picking up uveitis are the commonest cause of visual loss in children.
Currently, 73% of consultant ophthalmology posts are unfilled. There are local reports of long delays in diagnosis of uveitis due to challenges in accessing specialist care. In these cases uveitis is only detected in children after symptomatic presentation with visual loss subsequent to untreated eye inflammation. Effective use of imaging modalities (particularly a modality currently in use for adult disease across high street opticians in the UK) would support wider accessibility to uveitis surveillance for children at risk of uveitis.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-contact non-irradiating imaging modality. We have recently demonstrated that OCT for uveitis detection in children is possible, acceptable to families, repeatable, sensitive, and specific. Our team has developed protocols for taking and analysing images of the eyes of children with uveitis.
We shall be undertaking a feasibility study which compares routine clinical examination based uveitis surveillance to imaging based surveillance. It is a feasibility study because it will generate useful information to help us plan a larger scale clinical trial of imaging based uveitis surveillance in children. of clinical and cost-effectiveness. Following informed consent, children aged 2 – 12 years old who have recently been diagnosed with JIA will be randomised to undergo uveitis surveillance with either slit lamp examination (standard care) or OCT imaging over a one year period. At study end, a subset of participants will also be invited to take part in interviews to understand barrier and facilitators of study participation (recruitment and avoidance of attrition). We shall also undertake surveys of professionals to understand barrier and facilitators of later up take of this new use for eye imaging.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/YH/0237
Date of REC Opinion
27 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion