The Eye in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease associated with a number of extra-articular organ manifestations. Eye involvement is a frequent finding in patients with RA. Ocular conditions which occur due to RA are keratoconjunctivitis sicca, episcleritis, scleritis, corneal pathology and retinal vasculitis. Optic nerve involvement in the form of neuritis or ischaemic neuropathy has been reported and tenosynovitis of the superior oblique muscle sheath (Brown syndrome) is also an occasional manifestation. It should also be borne in mind that the eye may also be affected by the treatment of RA with drugs such as chloroquine which can cause loss of vision as a result of maculopathy.