Prevalence and Pattern of Ocular Involvement in Patients Attending Alexandria University Rheumatology Clinic: A Pilot Study

Abstract

It is known that patients with rheumatic diseases can show various ocular manifestations. Ocular involvement is well known in most rheumatic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, Behçet disease, anti-phospholipid syndrome, reactive arthritis and others. Their clinical expression and outcome vary between different populations. Although there are epidemiological studies on uveitis from different geographic areas, registry of patterns of eye affection among rheumatic patients in Egypt is highly deficient. Objective: To identify the prevalence and characteristics of uveitis and other patterns of immune eye involvement in patients referred to Alexandria University outpatient rheumatology clinic during the period from January 2013 to December 2013. Methods: A cross sectional analysis of a cohort of 1500 patients with immune diseases attending the outpatient rheumatology clinic was done. Of these, 100 patients had relevant eye complaints. The demographic features, clinical presentations, patterns of eye involvement, and modes of treatment of eye disease were registered for all patients. Results: 59 % of the patients were female. Mean age was 39.26 years and the mean duration of systemic disease was 41 months. Mean duration of eye disease was 30 months. Behcet's disease was the most common identifiable cause of uveitis (24%) followed by JIA associated uveitis (6%) and VKH (5%). Idiopathic anterior uveitis was the most common uveitic entity representing 32% of cases. 14% needed intraocular drug injections. Topical as well as systemic steroids were added in 58%, synthetic or biological DMARDs in 14%, and surgery in 14%.