Vision-Threatening Juvenile Lupus Retinopathy: A Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Aim: The present case-based review aims to highlight two successfully treated cases of juvenile lupus retinopathy in a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old female with a review of literature highlighting the clinical profile and the treatment modalities used in those cases. Methods: A comprehensive literature search for vision-threatening juvenile lupus retinopathy on Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) revealed 27 cases from 25 case reports. Results: The interval between visual loss and treatment initiation was three days (range: 0- 2 months). The most prevalent fundoscopic findings were cotton-wool spots in 18 (66.7%). IV Cyclophosphamide (CYC) was the most commonly used immunosuppressive agent in 12 cases (44.4%). Retinal photocoagulation was the principal intraocular treatment modality employed in 11 cases (40.7%). The majority of JLR cases (17; 63%) showed excellent vision recovery. Conclusion: Juvenile lupus retinopathy is a rare yet severe manifestation of juvenile lupus and can have excellent outcomes if addressed early and aggressively.