Scleritis: clinical characteristics, systemic associations, treatment and outcome in 100 patients

Purpose: To document the clinical features, systemic association, treatment and evolution of 100 patients with scleritis evaluated at the Uveitis Service of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Patients and Methods: 100 patients were identified with the diagnosis of scleritis. Signals and symptoms, visual acuity, B-mode ultrasonography signals, systemic associations, treatment and evolution were described and analyzed. Results: 69 patients were female and 31 were male. Diffuse and nodular anterior scleritis occurred in 71 patients, necrotizing anterior scleritis in 3, posterior scleritis in 24 and escleromalacia perforans in 2 patients. Unilateral involvement occurred in 79 patients and bilateral involvement in 21 patients. The main symptoms were ocular pain and redness and the main signal in posterior scleritis was the serous detachment of the retina. Scleritis in association with systemic disease occurred in 35 patients and the principal kind of treatment was the use of oral NSAIDs. Only 18 patients required systemic immunosuppressive drugs. Ocular complications were detected in 35 patients. Conclusions: Scleritis may represent a diagnostic challenge and is often associated with life threatening systemic disease and vision threatening ocular complications. Knowledge of scleritis may aid in determining timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment of both the ocular and any associated systemic conditions, thus decreasing morbidity and mortality.