https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7178-7915
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Abstract
Background
Ocular morbidities associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not received much attention in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. They are among the commonest (40%) extra-articular organ involvement in RA. If undiagnosed, there is a potential risk of them causing visual impairment or blindness. There is no documented study in Uganda on the magnitude of eye disorders among RA patients.
Aim
To determine the spectrum of eye disorders and associated factors among patients with RA attending Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Methods
A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among adults with RA attending the rheumatology clinic between July 2021 and September 2021. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected, and ophthalmologic examinations were performed on all consenting participants. Modified Poisson regression with robust standard error was used to determine factors associated with eye disorders.
Results
Overall, 105 patients with RA were enrolled, of which, 53 (50.5%) had eye disorders. The commonest disorder (54.7%, n=29) was dry-eye syndrome. Factors that were significantly associated with eye disorders were age 36–55 years (aPR 1.56, p=0.015), duration of RA >5 years (aPR 1.81, p=0.001), use of hydroxychloroquine >5 years (aPR 1.77, p=0.041), dose of oral steroids >10 mg/day (aPR 1.49, p=0.034), and history of both diabetes and hypertension (aPR 1.87, p=0.014).
Conclusion
The prevalence of eye disorders among patients with RA was high, with the commonest being dry-eye syndrome. We recommend that ocular examinations be performed on every patient at the time of RA diagnosis for early detection of eye disorders.
Abbreviations
IOP, intraocular pressure; MNRH, Mulago National Referral Hospital; RA, rheumatoid arthritis.
Data Sharing
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate
Permission to conduct this study was sought from the head of the rheumatology unit, Department of Ophthalmology at MNRH, and approval was obtained from the School of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee (SOMREC) of Makerere University (reference Mak-SOMREC-2021-119). Voluntary written informed consent was sought from the participants before they joined the study.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank the clinical team at the rheumatology unit in the medical department and ophthalmology department of Mulago National Referral Hospital for their support during the study. The authors express their gratitude towards the participants that took part in this study.
Author Contributions
All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis, interpretation, or all these areas, took part in drafting, revising, or critically reviewing the article, gave final approval to the version to be published, have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Disclosure
The authors declare no competing interests.