The eye and rheumatic disease

Patients with rheumatic disorders may develop a variety of ocular complications that often reflect the activity of the underlying disease. Many of these complications result in severe loss of vision and require aggressive therapy of both the primary rheumatic disease and the secondary ocular one. In such cases, early recognition is key. Diagnosis and treatment of these lesions require close cooperation between the ophthalmologist, rheumatologist, and primary caregiver.