Ocular manifestations of various spondyloarthropathies

Eye inflammation has been described as a crucial prominent feature of several rheumatic diseases. Uveitis, conjunctivitis, and episcleritis have been reported in patients with known spondyloarthropathies or may be significant symptoms for the diagnosis of previously undiagnosed spondyloarthropathy. A hospital-based, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted over twenty-one months, from January 2021 to September 2022. Patients aged more than 18 years with a definitive diagnosis of Spondyloarthropathy, attending the Department of Orthopedics outpatient clinics, SGMH, Rewa, were screened for presence of eye disorders. A total of 100 cases were recruited in the study. The mean age of the study group was 34.58 years (female 33.5 years and male 35.6 years) with a majority of cases (72%) in the study group aged between 20 and 39 years. Ankylosing spondyloarthropathy was the most common diagnosis in the study, with 49% cases being diagnosed with it. Patients with Psoriatic arthropathy were also found to have a significant association with foreign body sensation and diminution of vision while ciliary congestion was significantly associated with ankylosing spondylitis. In addition, uveitis was observed to have a statistically significant association with incidence of ankylosing spondylitis. The various manifestations of seronegative spondyloarthropathies include uveitis, which is a potentially blinding complication was noted in 19% of the patients, that needs to be identified early and treated right away to avoid irreparable vision loss.