title: Clinical features, prognosis, and treatment results of patients with scleritis from 2 tertiary eye care centers in Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the spectrum of scleritis from 2 tertiary eye care centers in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 114 patients with scleritis (82 female and 32 male; mean age, 48 +/- 17.7 years; age range, 4-87 years; 47 diffuse, 49 nodular, 7 necrotizing, and 11 posterior) who had undergone treatment between 1995 and 2006 were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean follow-up duration was 16.9 months. Thirteen patients (12%) had bilateral ocular disease at presentation, and 21 patients (19%) developed bilateral ocular disease during follow-up. Decreased visual acuity was most common (60%) in posterior scleritis and least common (2%) in diffuse scleritis. Thirty-six patients (32%) had associated systemic disease, and in 13 patients (11%), scleritis was the presenting symptom of a systemic disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Scleritis is a form of ocular inflammation frequently associated with systemic autoimmune disease and ocular complications. Close follow-up, systemic evaluation, and timely treatment are necessary in all patients with scleritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Bahçelievler, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Erkanli
authors.forename: Yonca A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Akova
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guney-Tefekli
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tugal-Tutkun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015423:Scleritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents