Conjunctivitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Conjunctivitis, including details on pink eye, symptoms, causes, treatment, medication.

Ocular manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Sivaraj RR, Durrani OM, Denniston AK, Murray PI, Gordon C

Academic Unit of Ophthalmology, Division of Immunity and Infection, University of Birmingham, UK.

Ocular manifestations of lupus are fairly common, may be the presenting feature of the disease and can be sight-threatening. Almost any part of the eye and visual pathway can be affected by inflammatory or thrombotic processes. Ocular pain and visual impairment require urgent assessment by an ophthalmologist. Infection should be excluded. Optic neuritis and ischaemic optic neuropathy may be difficult to distinguish. Scleritis and severe retinopathy require systemic immunosuppression but episcleritis, anterior uveitis and dry eyes can usually be managed with local eye drops. Vaso-occlusive disease, particularly in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, requires treatment with anticoagulation and proliferative retinopathy is treated with laser therapy. Hydroxychloroquine rarely causes ocular toxicity at doses under 6.5 mg/kg/day. When this has occurred, it has been associated with more than 5 years of drug exposure.

Published 22 November 2007 in Rheumatology (Oxford), 46(12): 1757-62.
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