Ocular Involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: The Experience of Two Tertiary Referral Centers

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of the ocular manifestations related to the disease and/or ascribable to the administration of potentially toxic drugs in a cohort of 98 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: Retrospective, observational study reporting the experience of two tertiary referral centers.

Results: Overall, an ocular involvement was detected in 29 patients (29.6%), sometimes preceding of months the diagnosis of SLE, more often revealed at diagnosis or throughout its course. More than a single ocular manifestation was found in 20 of the 29 patients with ophthalmological findings (68.9%). The array of ocular morbidity included, in a decreasing order of frequency, cataracts, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, glaucoma, discoid lesions of eyelids, episcleritis, retinopathy, vortex keratopathy, choroidopathy and retinal detachment, central retinal vein occlusion, and hydroxychloroquine-induced toxic maculopathy.

Conclusions: It is advised that a multidisciplinary team for the diagnosis and treatment of SLE should regularly include the presence of an ophthalmologist.

Keywords:

• Cataracts
• glucocorticoids
• hydroxychloroquine
• maculopathy
• ocular manifestations
• systemic lupus erythematosus

Author contributions

RD conceived the study, had full access to all the data in the study, and drafted this article. PP collected the data and was responsible for the accuracy of the data analysis. All authors contributed to the diagnosis and follow-up of the patients, revised this article critically for important intellectual content, and approved the final version of this article.

DECLARATION of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Ethical approval

For this type of retrospective study, a prior former consent is not required. No animal studies are included in this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC; investigator grant no. 14095 to AV and investigator grant no. 20441 to VR) and Special Program in Molecular Clinical Oncology 5 per 1000 (no. 9965 to AV), Milan, IT.