Investigating Ocular Diseases in Patients with Psoriasis

Background and purpose: Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease with skin and joint manifestations. This disease can be associated with ocular complications and reduce vision and quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and type of ocular involvement in patients with psoriasis to prevent unwanted complications by identifying the disease at the right time. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 40 patients with psoriasis in Semnan Kowsar Clinic affiliated to Semnan University of Medical Sciences, 2019. The participants were selected via census sampling and underwent systemic and ophthalmic examination. Patients aging 10-80 years old with at least 6 months of disease onset were included. Results: The mean age of patients was 43.33 ± 17.05 years, and there were 17 (42.5%) males and 23 (57.5%) females. The ocular diseases included dry eye (57.5%), posterior blepharitis (50%), conjunctival hyperemia (27.5%), cataract (20%), and anterior uveitis (7.5%). The presence of ocular disease was found to be significantly associated with the duration of psoriasis (P = 0.03). Conclusion: In this study, ocular surface diseases such as dry eye and posterior blepharitis were common in patients studied and were associated with the duration of psoriasis. Therefore, patients with psoriasis should undergo periodic and regular eye examinations to identify ocular diseases in a timely manner and prevent unwanted complications.