Contrary to popular belief, rheumatism is not limited to joints, muscles and bones, but can affect many organs. One of these organs is the eye. Therefore, it is important for patients diagnosed with rheumatism to be examined by a specialist ophthalmologist.

The eye can be a target for rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic diseases can cause diseases such as uveitis, scleritis, inflammation of the sclera, the white layer of the eye, or dry eye. Uveitis is the general name given to inflammation of the uvea, one of the inner layers of the eye. Rheumatic diseases can affect vessels of all sizes as well as connective tissues. The eye, which is unique in terms of its vascular structure, can be the target of rheumatic diseases. Because of these features, rheumatic patients should also be monitored for involvement of the eye tissues.

Some medications used in treatment may have negative effects on the eye

Some drugs used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases can have adverse effects on the eye and glaucoma can be caused by systemic steroid use. Another drug used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases is hydroxychloroquine, which is cheap, easily accessible and highly effective. This drug, which is a derivative of quinine originally used in the treatment of malaria, is generally recognized as a safe drug in terms of side effects. As a result of drug accumulation in the retina, the mesh layer of the eye, narrowing of the visual field may occur. These side effects end when the drug is discontinued under the supervision of a doctor. It was observed that the visual field returned to its previous level in the patient in whom the drug was discontinued. For this reason, it is recommended that patients using these quinine-derived drugs should be examined by an ophthalmologist at 6-12 month intervals in relation to the dose they use and have appropriate optical coherence tomography (OCT), multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and fundus autofluorescence tests, taking into account their clinical characteristics, especially the visual field.

December 2024