A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection has found that psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of several ocular complications, particularly dry eye, meibomian gland dysfunction, conjunctivitis, and conjunctival hyperemia. Conducted by a Brazilian-based team, the study compiled data from 30 studies involving over 131,000 patients, making it one of the largest investigations into the link between psoriasis and eye health to date.
Psoriasis, a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory condition that primarily affects the skin, has been increasingly recognized for its systemic manifestations, including ocular complications. Given this, the review aimed to quantify the prevalence of 25 eye conditions in psoriatic patients, as well as determine how frequently these issues occur compared to non-psoriatic individuals.
The review found that psoriasis patients had significantly higher odds of developing: conjunctival hyperemia, conjunctivitis, dry eye, and meibomian gland dysfunction. However, no significant difference was found between psoriatic and control groups for other conditions, such as blepharitis, cataracts, glaucoma, pterygium, and uveitis.
In patients with combined psoriasis and uveitis, the prevalence of serious complications – including cataracts, macular edema, retinal detachment, vitritis, and low visual acuity – was notably higher, highlighting the potential for more severe outcomes when both conditions coexist. Interestingly, uveitis itself appeared to be a protective factor against blepharitis and dry eye in psoriatic patients, a finding that requires further exploration.
The results suggest that ocular screening should be considered in patients with psoriasis, especially those reporting visual symptoms or else diagnosed with uveitis. This early detection and management of ocular inflammation could prevent progression to vision-threatening complications.
While the analysis does provide robust evidence of certain associations, the authors note limitations in their review, such as heterogeneity between studies, the lack of patient-level data, and potential publication bias. As such, they recommend more longitudinal and severity-stratified studies to explore how the intensity of psoriasis might correlate with specific eye conditions.
