Retinopathy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and its Correlation with Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Disease Activity

Abstract

Our study is a cross sectional case control study carried out on 50 SLE patients. All patients were divided into two groups according to retinal findings: Group (1): This group Included 30 SLE patients with retinopathy. Group (2): This group included 20 SLE patients without retinopathy. Results of our study showed APL antibodies were significantly elevated in SLE patients with retinopathy than in SLE patients without retinopathy. In our study different various forms of retinopathy in SLE patients were found including cotton wool spots, evidence of vasculitis, flame shaped haemorrhage, dot shaped haemorrhage, foveal affection, attenuated blood vessels and pale optic disc, macular mottiling, attenuated blood vessels. The most common fundus finding was cotton wools spots. We also found that retinopathy in SLE patients is associated with the presence of APL antibodies and it is correlated with disease activity.