Introduction: Scleritis and peripheral ulcerative keratitis are ocular manifestations found in many inflammations and infections. Therefore, their association should prompt a search for inflammatory or infectious causes that may be life-threatening, especially in the context of AIDS due to HIV infection. Findings: We report the case of a 37-year-old female, first seen in 2011 with a nodular scleritis in the right eye and a peripheral ulcerative keratitis, a necrotizing scleritis, and a granulomatous anterior uveitis in the left eye, in the context of chronic polyarthropathies that had evolved over 6 months. The patient was diagnosed with AIDS (HIV) in 2008 and was on antiretroviral therapy for the past 2 years. Ophthalmic workup was negative for opportunistic infections and potential causes of scleritis and peripheral ulcerative keratitis, and the patient was unresponsive to topical antibacterial and anti-inflammatory treatment. Ocular lesion resolution and articular swelling improvement was observed less than 6 weeks after sulfasalazine treatment. Based on American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria, and considering the good response to the treatment (sulfasalazine), diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was made in the absence of confirmatory lab tests results. Conclusion: In the context of ocular manifestations associated with polyarthropathies, coex-isting pathologies should be considered. Diagnostic workup of chronic inflammatory rheuma-tism should be carried out, even in the context of HIV/AIDS.
CITATION STYLE
Noche, C. D., Singwé-Ngandeu, M., & Bella, A. L. (2016). Rheumatoid polyarthritis suspected in an HIV patient with scleritis, peripheral ulcerative keratitis, and anterior uveitis. International Medical Case Reports Journal, 9, 19–24. https://doi.org/10.2147/IMCRJ.S94194
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