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Updated: Jun 22, 2025

Anti-Nuclear Antibody Screening Using HEp-2 Cells
Published on: June 23, 2014
Case of isolated scleromalacia perforans with seropositivity for rheumatoid arthritis
Sama Hajizadeh1, Conor O'Donnell2, Adam Dore2
1Internal Medicine, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA sama.hzh@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Scleromalacia perforans, or necrotising anterior scleritis, is a rare and severe form of eye disease that usually occurs in patients suffering from long-standing systemic inflammatory diseases, with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being the most common. Here, we report the case of a patient who presented with redness of the eye and discolouration of the sclera and was diagnosed with scleromalacia perforans without any further extraophthalmic systemic involvement. Serological workup revealed highly positive cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody (CCP-IgG/anticitrullinated protein antibodies) and positive rheumatoid factor, serologies commonly associated with RA. The patient's symptoms responded very well to rituximab therapy.

