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SAGE Publications, Lupus, 14(31), p. 1800-1807, 2022

DOI: 10.1177/09612033221133687

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Ocular findings in asymptomatic patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome

This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

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Abstract

Background Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) is characterized by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), repetitive fetal loss, and arterial/venous thrombosis and no association with other autoimmune rheumatic disease. Ocular involvement can also occur including retinal vascular thrombosis and neuro-ophthalmological manifestations, such as optic neuropathy and amaurosis fugax. Early detection of ocular changes is crucial to minimize functional loss. Purpose To perform a multimodal evaluation, including the use of Optical Coherence Angiotomography (OCTA), in patients with PAPS without ocular complaints and compare with healthy individuals. Methods We performed a complete structural and functional ophthalmological evaluation using OCTA and microperimetry exam in patients with PAPS, followed at a tertiary Rheumatology outpatient clinic. Results We included 104 eyes of 52 subjects [PAPS without ocular complaints (N = 26) and healthy individuals (N = 26)]. Among PAPS patients, 21 were female (80.8%) and 21 (80.8%) were Caucasians. PAPS manifestations were venous (65.4%), arterial thrombosis (34.6%), and obstetrical (34.6%) and all of them had lupus anticoagulant. Ophthalmologic findings were more frequent in PAPS compared to healthy individuals (19.2% vs. 0%, p = 0.05). The most common retinal change was paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) (3 patients, 5 eyes), followed by drusen (1 patient, 2 eyes) and pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy (PPE) (1 patient, 1 eye). Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were present in 100% of the PAPS patients with PAMM, while only six patients (26.1%) with PAPS without PAMM presented these two risk factors together ( p = 0.03). Conclusions We provide novel evidence that approximately 20% of our asymptomatic PAPS patients without ocular symptoms have ophthalmologic findings that require early identification and careful surveillance focusing on minimizing systemic and vascular risk factors.