Objective: To evaluate the demographic characteristics, clinical features, ocular complications, and disease associations of patients who were diagnosed as scleritis and episcleritis in clinic.
Methods: A retrospective case series study.Ninety patients were diagnosed clinically as scleritis and episcleritis in Beijing Tongren Hospital from Jan 2010 to Jan 2013. Analyzed the general states of health, case history, the clinical manifestation, clinical features, ocular complications (decrease in vision, anterior uveitis, keratitis, ocular hypertension, cataract, and diseases of retina), and disease associations, to summarize the clinical characteristics of scleritis and episcleritis.
Results: Ninety patients were recorded, from 4 to 83 years old, and the average was (48 ± 15) years old. 30 cases (33.3%) were male, and 60 (66.7%) were female. There were no significant difference between male and female (χ² = 10.000, P < 0.01).In the 90 cases, 36 (40.0%) were episleritis and 54 cases (60.0%) were scleritis. Children group (0-16 years old) had 2 cases (2.2%), which all were episleritis.Young adult group (17-44 years old) had 39 cases (43.4%), including 13 were episleritis and 26 cases were scleritis. Middle adult group (45-59 years old) had 30 cases, including 9 cases episleritis and 21 cases scleritis. There were 19 cases (21.2%) in aged group ( ≥ 60 years), including 12 cases episleritis and 7 scleritis.Young adult group, Middle adult group and Aged group were significantly more than Children and aged group (χ² = 33.390, 24.500 and 13.762, P < 0.01).Young group was significantly more than Aged group Children group (χ² = 6.889, P < 0.01). Ocular complications were more frequent overall in patients with scleritis versus in those with episcleritis (χ² = 30.044, P < 0.01) , including decrease in vision, keratitis, and ocular hypertension (χ² = 130.200, 67.200, 54.444, P < 0.01) .Nineteen cases (21.1%) had different types of arthritis, and 10 cases (11.1%) had infection diseases in local. There were difference between episcleritis and scleritis (χ² = 145.644, P < 0.01) .
Conclusions: Scleritis occurs in all ages, but mainly in adults.It is uncommon, and potentially life-threatening diseases. It is needed pay attention to diagnosis and treatment of the patients with systemic disease and ocular complications by Ophthalmologist.