Acute visual loss in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often presents as a multisystem disease that can be difficult to diagnose. Although ocular symptoms are infrequent, actual acute visual loss has been reported. A review of four cases of acute visual loss from a lupus clinic revealed that two patients had visual loss as a presenting sign of SLE. One had bilateral occipital lobe infarctions, the other multiple cotton wool spots and an attenuated retinal vascular system. Of the two patients with documented SLE prior to the onset of visual problems, one presented with a coincidental retinal tear and the other with retinal phlebitis.