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[Bilateral epibulbar rheumatoid nodulosis: case report]
Namir Clementino Santos1, Luciene Barbosa de Sousa, Virginia Fernandes Moça Trevisani
1Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. namirsantos@ig.com.br
Arquivos Brasileiros De Oftalmologia
|August 29, 2006
Summary
Rheumatoid nodules can appear in the episclera, the outer layer of the eye, even when rheumatoid arthritis is inactive. This condition, known as rheumatoid nodulosis, involves specific inflammatory and degenerative changes in the eye tissue.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Rheumatology
- Pathology
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease primarily affecting joints.
- Ocular manifestations of RA can occur, including episcleral nodules.
Observation:
- A 64-year-old woman with diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis presented with painless, bilateral episcleral nodules.
- The nodules appeared without any concurrent flare-up of her systemic rheumatoid arthritis.
Findings:
- Biopsy revealed conjunctival lymphocytic and plasmacytic infiltration.
- Histopathology showed palisading granulomas with multinucleated giant cells and necrobiotic degeneration of episcleral collagen.
Implications:
- The findings are consistent with rheumatoid nodulosis, a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis.
- This case highlights the possibility of ocular involvement in rheumatoid arthritis, even during periods of clinical inactivity.
