Peripheral ulcerative keratitis is inflammation and ulceration of the cornea that often occurs with chronic systemic rheumatic diseases. Irritation and decreased vision result.
Peripheral ulcerative keratitis is a serious corneal ulceration; it often occurs with systemic rheumatic tissue diseases that are active, long-standing, or both, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly called Wegener granulomatosis), and relapsing polychondritis.
DR M.A. ANSARY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Among patients with systemic rheumatic disease and peripheral ulcerative keratitis, the 10-year mortality rate had been about 40 to 50% (usually due to myocardial infarction) without treatment and about 8% with systemic cytotoxic therapy (1); however, the prognosis is better now with immunosuppressive therapy.
Any patient with peripheral ulcerative keratitis should be promptly referred to an ophthalmologist (2N
References
1. Foster CS, Forstot SL, Wilson LA. Mortality rate in rheumatoid arthritis patients developing necrotizing scleritis or peripheral ulcerative keratitis. Effects of systemic immunosuppression. Ophthalmology 91(10):1253-1263, 1984. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(84)34160-4
2. Hassanpour K, H ElSheikh R, Arabi A, et al: Peripheral ulcerative keratitis: A review. J Ophthalmic Vis Res 17(2):252-275, 2022. doi: 10.18502/jovr.v17i2.10797.
