Peripheral ulcerative keratitis refers to the inflammation and ulceration of the cornea. The disorder often occurs in people suffering from connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Peripheral ulcerative keratitis is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction. Symptoms of the disorder are blurred vision, a feeling as if a foreign object is trapped in the eye and a heightened sensitivity to bright light.
The ulcer is usually oval in shape and located in the periphery of the cornea.
The disorder is fatal in around 40% of the people who are afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral ulcerative keratitis. They die mostly of a heart attack within ten years of developing peripheral keratitis unless they are treated. Clinical studies reveal that treatment with drugs that suppress the immune system, such as oral or intravenous cyclophosphamide, reduces the death rate to about 8% in 10 years.
Please see an ophthalmologist immediately should you experience any of the above noted symptoms.
