The Prevalence of Dry Eye Syndrome in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients in Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multi-systemic autoimmune connective tissue disorder that is known to have variable manifestations with a remitting/relapsing course depending on the affected system. SLE can affect all the major organs in the human body including the heart, brain, and kidneys. Although the eye is not a primary target of autoimmune insult in SLE patients, one third of patients can present with significant ocular manifestations as it can affect any part of the ocular system. Furthermore, ocular involvement could be the first presenting symptom of SLE and may mirror the systemic disease activity. The worldwide prevalence of SLE varies, however, based on a study conducted in 2002 in central Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of SLE was estimated to be 19.28 per 100,000. STUDY AIM: To identify the prevalence of dry eye syndrome in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus diagnosed patients in Riyadh. METHODS: A cross sectional study that involved a total of 135 patients from Rheumatology outpatient clinic setting at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data was collected via McMonnies questionnaire, which is used as a screening tool for dry eye syndrome. Data analysis included descriptive statistics computed for continuous variables, including means, standard deviation (SD), minimum and maximum values, as well as 95% confidence interval (CI). Percentages and 95% CI were used for categorical variables. RESULTS: Out of 135 SLE patients, females were 87.4% ±2.9 (95%CI: 80.6–92.1.3), while males were 12.6% ±2.9 (95%CI: 7.9–19.4), Among the 118 female patients, 56% (n=66) lied between the age of 25-45 years. Most common symptom in 45.9% (95%CI: 37.6–54.5) of our patients was Dryness of Eyes. The predominant age group of our cohort was that of 25–45 years (57%) Among our cohort, 50.4% (95%CI: 41.9–58.8) patients suffered from Dry eye syndrome, with 12.6% males and 87.4% females. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of dry eye syndrome was found in our study with a percentage of 50.4%, also a female predominance was found in patients having dry eye syndrome.