Scleritis increases risk of developing vision-threatening corneal complications in Sjogren’s syndrome

Severity of dryness, corneal ulceration and scarring, cataract, and glaucoma are risk factors associated with poor visual acuity in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome (SS), with eyes with scleritis having a greater risk of developing vision-threatening corneal complications, according to a study.

In this retrospective case series, the ocular data of 919 consecutive patients with SS were reviewed. Primary SS accounted for 31% of patients (n = 285) and secondary SS for 69% (n = 634), with the most common causes of secondary SS being rheumatoid arthritis (98.1%), systemic lupus erythematosus (0.79%), psoriasis (0.79%), and scleroderma (0.6%).

Of the 1838 eyes, severe visual impairment was found in 10% with corneal complications at presentation in 2.5%. Corneal scarring, corneal ulceration, low Schirmer values, cataract, glaucoma, and age at diagnosis were independent risk factors for developing SVI. Scleritis and secondary SS were risk factors for corneal complications.

Reference
Singh S, Vipin Das A, Basu S, et al. Ocular involvement in Sjogren’s syndrome: Risk factors for severe visual impairment and vision-threatening corneal complications. Am J Ophthalmol. 2020; DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2020.12.019.