Scleritis
Basics
Basics
Basics
Description
Description
Description
- Scleritis is a painful, inflammatory process of the sclera, part of the eye’s outer coat.
- Categorized into anterior or posterior and diffuse, nodular, or necrotizing
- Commonly associated with systemic disorders
- Potentially vision threatening
- In contrast, episcleritis is a self-limited inflammation of the superficial episclera with only mild discomfort.
- System(s) affected: ocular
Epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology
- Mean age is 54 years (ranges from 12 to 96 years).
- Predominant sex: female > male (1.6:1)
Incidence
Estimated to be 6 cases per 100,000 people in the general population
Prevalence
- Anterior scleritis, about 94% of cases (1)
- Diffuse anterior scleritis, about 75% (most common)
- Remaining 6% have posterior scleritis.
Etiology and Pathophysiology
Etiology and Pathophysiology
Etiology and Pathophysiology
Frequently associated with a systemic illness (
1)[
B]
- Most commonly associated with rheumatoid arthritis
- In about 38% of cases, scleritis is the presenting manifestation of an underlying systemic disorder.
- Necrotizing scleritis has the highest association with systemic disease.
- Other etiologies
- Proposed pathogenesis is dependent on type of scleritis. In necrotizing scleritis, the predominant mechanism is likely due to the activity of matrix metalloproteinases.
- Drug-induced scleritis has been reported in patients on bisphosphonate therapy.
- Surgically induced necrotizing scleritis is exceedingly rare and occurs after multiple surgeries.
Infectious scleritis occurs most commonly after surgical trauma, and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa in poorly controlled diabetic patients is the most common causative organism (
2)[
B].
Risk Factors
Risk Factors
Risk Factors
Individuals with autoimmune disorders are most at risk.
Commonly Associated Conditions
Commonly Associated Conditions
Commonly Associated Conditions
- Rheumatoid arthritis (most common)
- Sjögren syndrome
- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
- HLA-B27–associated ankylosing spondylitis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Behçet disease
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Cogan disease
- Relapsing polychondritis
- Polyarteritis nodosa
- Sarcoidosis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Herpes zoster, herpes simplex
- HIV, syphilis, Lyme disease, tuberculosis
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