OCULAR MANIFESTATIONS DURING RA | Arthritis Information

FRI0186   OCULAR MANIFESTATIONS DURING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 48 PATIENTS

F. Banal*¹, M. Djennane^2
1Rheumatology, HIA Bégin, Saint-Mandé, France, ²Rheumatology, Tizi-Ouzou hospital, Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria

Background: Ocular manifestations during rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are usual. There usually consist of corneal ulceration, episcleritis and scleritis. The objective of our present prospective study is to estimate the frequency of such manifestation during RA.

Methods: Forty-eight patients fulfilling the ACR 1987 criteria for RA were prospectively recruited in the rheumatologic department of the Tizi-Ouzou hospital (Algeria), over a seven months period. Epidemiological, clinical, radiological et biological data were collected. Ophthalmological examinations were carried out by the same ophthalmologist, including measure of visual acuity, fundus of the eye, slit-lamp examination, break-up time test and Schirmer’s tear test.
Results: Sex ratio was 5.8. Mean age was 44.5±10 years (range 22-61 years). Mean disease duration of RA was 11.9±4.3 years (range 5-22 years). DAS 28 was 4.82±1.84 (range 2-7.7). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 47.8±28.9 mm/hour (range 9-100 mm/hour). Hemoglobin rate was 10.6± 1.9 g/dl (range 7.5-15 g/dl). Rheumatoid factor was positive in 67% of cases. Main treatment was methotrexate in 67% of cases. Ocular symptoms were pain in 13 cases (27%), redness in 11 cases (19%), blurred vision in 23 cases (48%), xerophthalmia in 21 cases (44%). Ocular manifestation frequency was 45.8%. Ophthalmological examination revealed xerophthalmia in 58%, complicated by superficial ponctuated keratitis in 15%. Conjunctivitis, scleritis and uveitis sequela were reported in 2% of cases. Correlation study revealed an association between xerophthalmia and active disease, biological inflammatory syndrom (p<0.001) and anemia (p=0.001). No correlation was found with age (p=0.91).