Peripheral ulcerative keratitis

[Lizzy Liz]

Peripheral ulcerative keratitis is a serious eye disorder that involves inflammation and ulceration of the cornea (the clear layer in front of the iris and pupil) that often occurs in people who have connective tissue disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms include blurred vision, increased sensitivity to bright light, and a sensation of a foreign object in the eye.
Doctors diagnose peripheral ulcerative keratitis based on the appearance of the cornea in someone who has a connective tissue disorder.
Doctors treat the damaged cornea and give drugs to suppress the immune system.

(See also Introduction to Corneal Disorders.)
Peripheral ulcerative keratitis is probably caused by an autoimmune reaction. In an autoimmune disorder, antibodies or cells produced by the body attack the body’s own tissues. Many autoimmune disorders affect connective tissue in a variety of organs. Connective tissue is the structural tissue that gives strength to joints, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. The connective tissue disorders that occur with peripheral ulcerative keratitis include rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and relapsing polychondritis.
Peripheral ulcerative keratitis also may be caused by an infection.