A Wide Spectrum of Ocular Manifestations Signify Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Rheumatology
• Connective Tissue Diseases

Background:

• Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare, chronic connective tissue disease impacting multiple organ systems.
• Ocular manifestations are a significant, yet often under-evaluated, aspect of SSc.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and detail the clinical ocular manifestations in outpatients diagnosed with Systemic Sclerosis.
• To identify the prevalence of various eye conditions associated with SSc.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated demographics, disease duration, subtype, nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) patterns, and autoantibody profiles in 51 SSc patients.
• Conducted general ocular examinations for all participants.
• Correlated NFC findings with tear breakup time and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores.

Main Results:

• Eyelid skin alterations (56.86%), retinal abnormalities (50.98%), cataracts (50.98%), and dry eye disease (DED) (64.71%) were the most prevalent ocular findings.
• Conjunctival changes (15.69%), iris abnormalities (13.73%), and glaucoma (21.57%) were also observed.
• Significant positive correlations were noted between NFC data and DED indicators (tear breakup time, OSDI).

Conclusions:

• Eyelid skin abnormalities, DED, and retinal issues are common ocular involvements in Systemic Sclerosis.
• The heterogeneity of SSc contributes to the diverse range of ophthalmic findings.
• NFC patterns may correlate with the severity of dry eye in SSc patients.