Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography as a New Tool for Evaluation of the Subclinical Retinal Involvement in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—A Review

Knowing the proven relationship between lupus retinopathy and systemic changes and disease activity, it is crucial to find the possibility of early diagnosis of retinal changes at a subclinical level in order to provide faster medical intervention and protect the patient from irreversible changes in the eye and other organs. The aim of this review is an analysis of studies investigating early pathological changes in retinal vascularization obtained by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and their relationship to the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A literature search was performed to identify all relevant articles, regarding detection of subclinical retinal changes using OCTA in systemic lupus erythematosus listed in PubMed database. Seven out of seven papers found showed a decrease in superficial capillary plexus in ocular asymptomatic patients diagnosed with SLE. A decrease in retinal vessel density measured by OCTA may be a good marker of SLE activity and poor prognosis. OCTA in a safe manner can give clinicians a new perspective on processes of vessel remodeling and answer the question of how SLE might impact the eye from a structural point of view. Adding OCTA to the standard diagnostic process of SLE patients, may detect systemic changes early and prevent further visual deterioration by stopping progression of lupus retinopathy.

SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS DISEASE ACTIVITY CORRELATED WITH POSTERIOR SEGMENT MANIFESTATIONS USING MEX-SLEDAI SCORE

Introduction: Lupus retinopathy and posterior uveitis are complications due to systemic lupus erythematosus which can threaten the vision. The presence of posterior segment manifestation is suggestive of high disease activity. The aim of this study is to identify posterior segment manifestation (Lupus Retinopathy and Posterior Uveitis) in SLE patient and their correlation with SLE disease activity using The Mexican-SLEDAI (MEX-SLEDAI) score. Methods: This was an analytical observational study with cross-sectional design, conducted from August to October 2020 and involved 114 SLE patients in Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital. We calculated MEX-SLEDAI score to assess SLE disease activity. All participant that met inclusion criteria underwent ophthalmology examinations using a portable slit-lamp, head indirect ophthalmoscope, and fundus finding were documented using portable fundus imaging. Result: Lupus retinopathy (LR) presents in 25/114 (21.9%) and posterior uveitis (PU) occurs in 2/114 (1.8%) SLE patients. The mean age of patient with LR, PU, and without retinopathy were 32.92; 37.00; and 31.08 years respectively. The posterior segment findings were hemorrhages, cotton wool spots, hard exudates, and vasculitis reflecting vascular damage. The most common manifestation found in retina was cotton wool spot. The mean of MEX-SLEDAI score of SLE patient with LR (7.200 ± 3.905) and SLE patient with PU (3.500 ± 2.121) was higher than the mean of SLE patient without LR and PU (2.871 ± 2.534). There was a significant association between LR and MEX-SLEDAI score (p=0.000). An insignificant association between PU and MEX-SLEDAI score was found (p=0.353) Conclusion There is a significance correlation between lupus retinopathy and SLE disease activity based on MEX-SLEDAI scores. The mean of MEX-SLEDAI score in SLE patients with lupus retinopathy was higher than SLE with posterior uvetis and SLE without posterior segment manifestations.