Ocular manifestations in patients with autoimmune bullous dermatoses: A hospital-based retrospective study

Abstract

Background: Ocular involvement in autoimmune bullous dermatoses (AIBD) remains underappreciated. Objectives: The objective was to study the prevalence and characteristics of ocular involvement in patients with AIBD. Methods: The medical records of 25 patients (males: females 11:14) aged between 27 and 85 years (mean ± standard deviation = 44.9 ± 15.6 years) with AIBD were analyzed retrospectively for clinico-epidemiological attributes and the presence of ocular abnormalities. Results: There were 20 (80%) pemphigus patients, of which most were pemphigus vulgaris (PV, n = 14) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF, n = 6). Other 5 (20%) patients included bullous pemphigoid (BP, n = 4) and cicatricial pemphigoid (CP, n = 1). Seventeen (68%) patients comprising 11 (78.6%) of PV, 3 (50%) of PF, 2 (50%) of BP, and 1 (100%) of CP had 27 ocular abnormalities. Erosions of lid margins (n = 3, 27.3%), blepharitis with meibomitis (n = 1, 9.1%), chalazion (n = 1, 9.1%), and conjunctival vesicles over bulbar conjunctivae (n = 2, 18.2%), conjunctivitis (PV = 5, 45.5%, PF = 1, 33.3%), and symblepharon and keratoconjunctivitis sicca in one (9.1%) patient each, respectively, were major ocular manifestations in pemphigus. Entropion with trichiasis, shallow fornices, and corneal opacities were major abnormalities in patients with BP (n = 2, 100%) and CP (n = 1, 100%). Conclusion: Ocular comorbidities vary in prevalence and severity between subtypes of AIBD. These are mainly from complications of ocular surface disease predominantly affecting the anterior segment of the eye. They are more severe in patients with CP compared to others. The study is limited by a single-center, retrospective-study design, a small number of patients in each group for stratification, and long-term follow-up.