Case Report - A Rare Case of SLE Retinopathy

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder. It has a relapsing and remitting course.1 It is found to be more common in Asian and African population. It is more common in females than males. Usual age of onset is between 15 years and 45 years.2 It occurs in one third of patients with SLE and is associated with morbidity. SLE can involve eyes, joints, brain, kidney, skin, serosa, ears, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. Manifestations in SLE occur due to recurrent vascular injury, which is secondary to immune complex deposition, thrombosis, leukothrombosis.3 Thrombotic complications are found to be more common in Caucasians.4 Ocular manifestations can be seen in one third of the population with SLE.1,5 Triggering factors such as exposure to sunlight, use of sulphonamides, pregnancy, infections, and contraception have been known to exacerbate the disease.2,6 Hallmarks of ophthalmic involvement in SLE include severe tear deficiency, retinal vasculopathy and scleral inflammation.3 Most common ocular presentation is keratoconjunctivitis sicca.7 Fundus examination in the eye is the only part of the body where the vasculature can be directly visualized and hence SLE retinopathy indicates the amount of systemic vascular damage, retinopathy indicates high disease activity in patients with SLE and hence indicates a poor survival of these patients.2 Most patients with SLE develop secondary Sjogren’s syndrome.