Corneal melt in rheumatic disorders: effect of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs on morbidity.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to review the characteristics of patients with corneal melt and to assess if treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) improved the visual outcome.


METHODS
We did a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with corneal melt between 1976 and 2002. Twenty-one patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 5 patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (26 patients, 42 eyes) were included in the analysis of visual outcome. Visual outcome was described as "fair" if the corrected visual acuity was 20/200 or better and as "poor" if the corrected visual acuity was worse than 20/200.


RESULTS
Visual outcome was fair in 9 patients (90%) in the DMARD group versus 2 patients (13%) in the no DMARD group (P= 0.001), and in 14 eyes (93%) in the DMARD group versus 7 eyes (26%) in the no DMARD group (P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of DMARDs improves visual outcome in patients with corneal melt.
Saripalli
Leela
L
Department of Rheumatology, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA. lsaripalli1@geisinger.edu
Harrington
Thomas M
TM
Notz
Robert G
RG
Torretti
Dennis
D
D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents