Julio J González-López1,2, Alenka Lavric1, Parthopratim Dutta Majumder3, Nishat Bansal3, Jyotirmay Biswas3, Carlos Pavesio1,4, Rupesh Agrawal1,5. 1. a Moorfields Eye Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust , London , UK . 2. b Surgery Department , Universidad de Alcalá School of Medicine, Madrid, Spain . 3. c Medical Research Foundation , Chennai , India . 4. d Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology , London , UK , and. 5. e National Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital , Singapore.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients and analyze factors associated with bilateral posterior scleritis. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, records of patients with diagnosis of bilateral posterior scleritis at two tertiary-care centers in the UK and India were analyzed in comparison with the clinical profile of patients with unilateral scleritis. RESULTS: In total, 18 patients with bilateral posterior scleritis were identified and compared with 96 patients of unilateral posterior scleritis; 14 (77%) were women and the median age was 48 years. Headache (p = 0.04), optic nerve swelling (p = 0.01), and elevated antinuclear antibodies (ANA) titers (p = 0.03) were present more frequently in patients with bilateral than in unilateral posterior scleritis. Seven patients (38.88%) required immunosuppressive therapy to attain resolution of the inflammation and to prevent relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral posterior scleritis is an uncommon but severe inflammation of the posterior sclera. The majority of them are idiopathic, often requiring aggressive treatment to prevent visual loss.
PURPOSE: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients and analyze factors associated with bilateral posterior scleritis. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, records of patients with diagnosis of bilateral posterior scleritis at two tertiary-care centers in the UK and India were analyzed in comparison with the clinical profile of patients with unilateral scleritis. RESULTS: In total, 18 patients with bilateral posterior scleritis were identified and compared with 96 patients of unilateral posterior scleritis; 14 (77%) were women and the median age was 48 years. Headache (p = 0.04), optic nerve swelling (p = 0.01), and elevated antinuclear antibodies (ANA) titers (p = 0.03) were present more frequently in patients with bilateral than in unilateral posterior scleritis. Seven patients (38.88%) required immunosuppressive therapy to attain resolution of the inflammation and to prevent relapse. CONCLUSIONS:Bilateral posterior scleritis is an uncommon but severe inflammation of the posterior sclera. The majority of them are idiopathic, often requiring aggressive treatment to prevent visual loss.