Peripheral ulcerative keratitis: A review of aetiology and management

African Vision and Eye Health

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Peripheral ulcerative keratitis: A review of aetiology and management
 
Creator Hӧllhumer, Roland
 
Subject Ophthalmology, anterior segment, cornea peripheral ulcerative keratitis; immunosuppression; cytotoxic therapy; biologic therapy; rheumatoid arthritis; granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Description Background: Peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK) is a severe inflammatory disease of the peripheral cornea that can be caused by local factors or systemic inflammatory disease.Aim: The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the pathophysiology, aetiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of PUK.Method: A PubMed search was conducted using the keywords, ‘peripheral ulcerative keratitis’ and ‘Mooren’s ulcer’.Results: The peripheral cornea has unique characteristics the predispose to the development of PUK. These include fine capillary arcades that allow for deposition of immune complexes and subsequent activation of an inflammatory cascade with corneal melt. Several conditions have been implicated in the aetiology of PUK. The most commonly cited causes are rheumatoid arthritis (RA), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and various dermatoses. In patients with RA, PUK usually presents in established disease, whereas in GPA, PUK may be the presenting feature in up to 60% of cases. In RA it heralds the onset of a systemic vasculitis with significant associated morbidity and mortality. The management of PUK follows an individualised stepwise approach. All patients require supportive measures to encourage healing and halt the process of keratolysis. Systemic autoimmune conditions need a systemic corticosteroid as a fast-acting agent to halt the inflammatory process while cytotoxic therapy maintains long term disease control. Failure to achieve disease control with CTT, necessitates the use of a biologic agent.Conclusion: Peripheral ulcerative keratitis is a severe inflammatory disease of the peripheral cornea that needs a thorough diagnostic workup and stepwise management approach.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor NA
Date 2022-01-13
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Review
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/aveh.v81i1.697
 
Source African Vision and Eye Health; Vol 81, No 1 (2022); 11 pages 2410-1516 2413-3183
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/697/1739 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/697/1740 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/697/1741 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/697/1742
 
Coverage South Africa — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2022 Roland Hollhumer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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