[New clinical and epidemiologic aspects of episcleritis and scleritis]

Numerous systemic diseases can cause scleritis or episcleritis. Frequently, symptoms and complications compromising vision can only be managed with systemic immunosuppressants. There are no clear guidelines on the indications for systemic immunosuppressants in patients with episcleritis and scleritis.

The aim of the present retrospective study was to investigate how many patients with episcleritis or scleritis have an associated systemic disease and at what stage it is diagnosed. Secondly, the proportion of patients who present with episcleritis or scleritis in the first instance and then change into the other category during the course of the disease was analyzed. Finally, we checked whether the presence of an associated systemic disease indicates the necessity to treat the patient with nonsteroidal systemic immunosuppressive drugs.

Sixty-eight patients with inflammatory scleral diseases were treated at the University Eye Clinic between 1991 and 1995. In 13 patients an associated systemic disease was diagnosed before the appearance of ocular symptoms, and in 8 patients such an illness was diagnosed at a later stage. In 2 cases (3%) the ocular disease category changed during the course of the disease. Neither in the episcleritis nor in the scleritis population was a statistically significant correlation established between the diagnosis of an associated systemic disease and the necessity to treat the patient with nonsteroidal systemic immunosuppressive drugs.

The small number of patients who changed the ocular disease category may indicate that episcleritis and scleritis are two independent entities, which might even be caused by different mechanisms. The indications for the management of episcleritis and scleritis with immunosuppressive drugs should not only depend on the diagnosis of an associated systemic disease, but also and mainly on the severity of the ocular manifestation.