Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Scleritis is a potentially vision-threatening inflammatory disorder that is frequently associated with underlying systemic disease. In many instances, ocular symptoms may represent the first clinical manifestation of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or tuberculosis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the systemic associations of scleritis, determine the proportion of patients in whom systemic disease was newly detected during ophthalmic evaluation, and analyse treatment response and recurrence patterns. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 28 consecutive patients diagnosed clinically with scleritis and treated between June 2024 and December 2025 at tertiary eye care centre in South India. All patients underwent a standardised systemic evaluation protocol. Data regarding demographic profile, systemic diagnosis, treatment instituted, remission, and recurrence were collected and analysed. Results: Among the 28 patients included in the study, 17 patients (60.7%) had an identifiable systemic association. The mean age was 46.8 ± 12.4 years, with a female predominance (16 women, 12 men). Rheumatoid arthritis was the most common associated systemic condition (25%), followed by tuberculosis (17.9%). Other associations included HLA-B27 spondyloarthropathy, systemic lupus erythematosus, and IgA nephropathy. Eleven patients (39.3%) were categorised as idiopathic. In 9 of the 17 patients with systemic disease (52.9%), the diagnosis was established for the first time during evaluation for scleritis. The overall recurrence rate was 17.9%, which was lower than rates reported in several previous studies. Conclusions: Scleritis should prompt a thorough search for underlying systemic disease. Early multidisciplinary assessment and targeted therapy may improve disease control and reduce recurrence. Key words: Scleritis, Systemic associations, Rheumatoid arthritis, Tuberculosis, Immunomodulatory therapy, Ocular inflammation
Authors: Pradeep Nitture, Geetha G
Institution: Sankara Eye Hospital, Coimbatore
Language: English
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7166016573