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Peripheral ulcerative keratitis - External and Internal Eye
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Peripheral ulcerative keratitis - External and Internal Eye

Contributors: Aditi Jani MD
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Synopsis

Peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK) is an inflammatory thinning and ulceration of the cornea as a result of an autoimmune condition. Causative autoimmune diseases include:
Of these, rheumatoid arthritis is the most common, resulting in 32%-42% of PUK patients.

PUK affects 3 persons per million per year. There is no predilection by sex, but PUK more commonly affects patients after their fourth or fifth decade.

Patients present with ocular redness, pain, tearing, photophobia, and decreased vision. The classic presentation is a crescent-shaped white ulcer on the peripheral edge of the cornea.

Cases are mostly unilateral but can be bilateral. About 36%-66% of PUK cases can be associated with a scleritis, and a wider incidence of cases can be associated with anterior uveitis. The worst complications of PUK are corneal perforation or scleral perforation from an associated necrotizing scleritis. These complications need immediate surgical intervention to prevent infection and vision loss.

Codes

ICD10CM:
H16.009 – Unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye

SNOMEDCT:
416473005 – Peripheral ulcerative keratitis

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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls

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Therapy

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Drug Reaction Data

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References

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Last Reviewed:01/21/2021
Last Updated:05/08/2023
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Peripheral ulcerative keratitis - External and Internal Eye
A medical illustration showing key findings of Peripheral ulcerative keratitis : Photophobia, Vision loss, Corneal ulcer, Conjunctival injection, Ocular pain
Copyright © 2024 VisualDx®. All rights reserved.