Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disorder affecting primarily the exocrine glands, leading to keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) and xerostomia, but that can also include extraglandular features(1). Due the anatomical, physiological and pathological similarity between the pancreas and the salivary glands, it has been described that the pancreas it is not exempt from the damage produced by...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can involve many parts of the eye, including the eyelid, ocular adnexa, sclera, cornea, uvea, retina and optic nerve. Ocular manifestations of SLE are common and may lead to permanent blindness from the underlying disease or therapeutic side effects. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca is the most common manifestation. However, vision loss may result from involvement o...

Twenty-two patients with rheumatoid arthritis and moderate to severe bilateral keratoconjunctivitis sicca were treated with artificial tears and a soluble slow-release artificial tear insert in a crossover trial. While using the inserts all but two patients reported an improvement in their symptoms. All the patients showed an improvement in the degree of conjunctival and corneal staining while ...

Patients with clinically well defined keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) participated in two trials of hypo-osmolar tear substitutes. The trials were double masked, single crossover studies with computer generated random order allocation and were conducted by postal questionnaire. In the first trial a hypo-osmolar formulation using polyvinylpyrrolidone and hydroxyethyl cellulose was compared with...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by production of numerous antibodies that may affect multiple organ systems. Wide variety of systemic features of SLE are attributed to antibodies against the components of cell nuclei. Many of the clinical features, like nephritis and arthritis are due to deposition of immune complexes resulting in tissue damage. Other f...

A patient, CAL, with gamma heavy chain disease is presented who has had a complete remission lasting over 2 yr with combination chemotherapy consisting of pulsatile cyclophosphamide and prednisone. The patient exhibited many features of an autoimmune process including a vasculitis, low serum complement levels, a positive antiglobulin (Coombs) test, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and keratoconjunctivitis...

In a study of 112 patients (49 men, 63 women) with psoriatic arthritis, ocular inflammation was noted in 35 (31.2%). Conjunctivitis was the most common lesion, being found in 19.6% (10 males, 12 females). Iritis occurred in 7.1% (5 men, 3 women), episcleritis in 1.8% (1 man, 1 woman), and keratoconjunctivitis sicca in 2.7% (3 women). 20 patients (10 men, 10 women) had radiological sacroiliitis ...

The first description of Mikulicz’s disease was reported in 1892 by Johann von Mikulicz-Radecki, who described a case of a 42-year-old farmer named Christof Calweit with painless and symmetric bilateral lacrimal, paro t i d , and submandibular gland enlargement associated with lymphocytic infiltrations upon microscopic examination (1). Schaffer in 1927 termed this syndrome of benign and c h ron...