Psoriasis beyond the skin: Ophthalmological changes (Review)

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that may be associated with abnormal T-lymphocyte function. Ocular manifestations associated with psoriasis, particularly artropathic or pustular psoriasis, usually affect men, often during exacerbations of the disease. It has been reported that eye damage tends to occur later compared with cutaneous or joint manifestations, blindness being the most disabling complication. Previous studies have focused on ophthalmic manifestations and identified several etiopathogenic mechanisms. Psoriasis may be associated with eye complications such as lesions of the eyelids, conjunctiva and others, with systemic inflammation being the main contributor. In addition, the treatment used for psoriasis may cause ocular changes. The main ophthalmic manifestations associated with psoriasis are keratoconjunctivitis sicca, blepharitis, conjunctivitis and uveitis. The treatment of uveitis, perceived as one of the most serious eye conditions, is controversial and has yet to be clearly determined. Thus, the aim of the present review was to emphasize the importance of regular eye examination for patients with psoriasis, either those receiving biological treatment or those not receiving treatment, in order to diagnose and manage the disease appropriately.

Uveitis and nail psoriasis in a patient without articular involvement: a case report

“…The pathophysiological relationship between uveitis and psoriasis has not been fully elucidated; regardless, uveitis has been frequently observed in cases of psoriasis vulgaris and PsA, especially among men [ 1 , 5 , 10 – 13 ], mainly with HLA-B27 positivity [ 14 ]. Tanaka et al [ 15 ] reported an unusual distribution of uveitis in Japanese patients, being most common in psoriasis vulgaris (7/13) than in PsA (4/13).…”

Ocular manifestations of psoriasis: An inflammatory disease beyond the skin

“…We could not find any association between ocular manifestation and clinical type of psoriasis which might be due to insufficient number of cases of different clinical types and also absence of some types such as pustular or erythrodermic variants which have been shown to be associated with severe dry eye syndrome in psoriasis patients. 4 …”

“… 1 , 2 , 3 Previous studies have shown some ocular manifestations in patients with psoriasis, especially those with arthropathic or pustular variants of the disease. 4 , 5 , 6 …”

“…The most frequent ocular manifestations among psoriasis patients are keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye syndrome), nonspecific conjunctivitis, blepharitis, cataract, and uveitis. 4 , 6 , 7 …”

“…However, it can lead to several systemic complications including cardiovascular, metabolic, and psychiatric problems 1–3 . Previous studies have shown some ocular manifestations in patients with psoriasis, especially those with arthropathic or pustular variants of the disease 4–6 …”