Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
A Metadata Extraction Approach for Clinical Case Reports to Enable Advanced Understanding of Biomedical Concepts
Published on: September 20, 2018
Retinal vasculopathy in children with systemic lupus erythematosus: report of two cases
Sandesh Guleria1, Ankur Kumar Jindal1, Dharmagat Bhattarai1
1Allergy Immunology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Insights
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in children can cause rare retinal vasculopathy. Early fundus examination is crucial for diagnosing this condition and preventing vision loss through aggressive treatment.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Rheumatology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease with variable clinical presentation.
- Pediatric SLE cases often exhibit increased severity and mortality compared to adult cases.
- Ocular manifestations occur in up to one-third of SLE patients.
Observation:
- Retinal vasculopathy is an uncommon complication in pediatric SLE.
- This report details two pediatric cases of SLE with retinal vasculopathy.
- Fundus examination revealed characteristic cotton-wool spots in both patients.
Findings:
- Fundus fluorescein angiography demonstrated findings consistent with occlusive micro-angiopathy.
- These diagnostic findings confirm lupus retinal vasculopathy.
- Prompt fundus examination is vital for identifying retinal abnormalities.
Implications:
- Early detection of retinal vasculopathy in children with SLE is critical.
- Aggressive immunosuppressive therapy is recommended to preserve vision.
- Comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation should be standard for all pediatric SLE patients.
Abstract:
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, autoimmune, multisystem disease associated with a variable clinical course. SLE is more severe and is associated with higher mortality in children compared to adults. Eye involvement may be seen in up to a third of patients. Retinal vasculopathy is rare in children with SLE. We report two such cases. Both patients in this series had cotton-wool spots on fundus examination, and fundus fluorescein angiography revealed findings of occlusive micro-angiopathy. These findings are characteristic of lupus retinal vasculopathy. Fundus examination is crucial in diagnosing retinal vasculopathy. All children with SLE must be evaluated in detail to detect any retinal abnormalities and should be managed with aggressive immunosuppression to save their vision.
