INFO - Ocular involvement in RA

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Medscape Rheumatology

Posted 29 May 2008

" Systemic Extra-articular Manifestations of Rheumatoid Arthritis " :

Excerpt:

Ocular Involvement

Ocular involvement is another major manifestation of RA ( Table

).[35,36] The most important ocular manifestation is scleritis, which

is associated with the development of anterior uveitis and with

peripheral ulcerative keratitis or corneal melt.[35,36] These

disorders are associated with mononuclear cell infiltrates in the eye

that produce inflammatory cytokines.[36,37] However, unlike many of

the other systemic manifestations of RA, ocular involvement can

predate the development of arthritis and may be independent of the RA

disease activity.[38] Despite this, there appears to be a correlation

between RA disease severity and the development of scleritis.[39] RA

patients also develop secondary Sjögren's syndrome, which can be

associated with the development of keratoconjunctivitis sicca[40];

there is an association between RF levels and keratoconjunctivitis

sicca in RA patients.[41] Secondary Sjögren's syndrome is associated

with inflammatory changes in the salivary and lacrimal glands with

infiltration of mononuclear cells.[35,40]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/574674_1

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