Ocular manifestations in Sjögren’s syndrome – it never rains but it pours? Case report

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune inflammatory disease. It is characterized by inflammatory lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands, leading to their significant dysfunction and destruction. Lacrimal and salivary glands are commonly affected, causing dryness of the eyes and mouth. The subject of the study is a case report of a 64-year-old woman who had been suffering from discomfort in her right eye for 6 years. Early stage cataract in both eyes, corneal ulceration of the right eye, and a right lower eyelid entropion requiring surgical intervention, were diagnosed at that time. Despite successful treatment, the eyelashes began to grow improperly again and irritated the cornea. Subsequently, the problem of trichiasis also affected the eyelid of the left eye. The eyelashes of both eyes were removed mechanically many times. Sjögren’s syndrome was diagnosed on the basis of the symptoms, a positive Schirmer test and the presence of SS-A antibodies. In the following years, the patient developed keratopathy with corneal epithelial defects, advanced stage cataract, and upper eyelid entropion with associated trichiasis in both eyes. These conditions required both intensive pharmacological and surgical treatment, including an amniotic membrane transplant onto the surface of the right eye, blepharoplasty, lacrimal puncta closure and cataract surgery. Despite the treatment, the patient currently has numerous conjunctival adhesions and vascularized corneal leucoma of the right eye. In addition to the ocular symptoms, the patient has presented other systemic signs.