Surgically induced necrotizing scleritis (SINS): Is it a standalone condition or a variant of necrotizing scleritis?

Abstract

Purpose: To report the clinical pattern of surgically induced necrotizing scleritis (SINS) in a tertiary eye care center in Southern India. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all SINS cases visiting the uveitis clinic of a tertiary eye institute between January 2009 and April 2019. Results: In total, 15 patients with a median age of 65 (IQR: 52–70) years were included in the study. Male (53%) predominance was noted, and SINS was unilateral (100%) in all cases. Most (87%) of the patients developed SINS after a single surgical procedure, with a median onset period of 251 (IQR: 127–1095) days. None of these patients had any evidence of systemic association. Ocular hypertension (n = 3, 20%), and cataract (n = 5, 33%) were the most common complications. When compared with a cohort of patients with idiopathic necrotizing scleritis, the index study did not find any statistically significant difference between SINS and idiopathic scleritis. Conclusion: SINS is idiopathic necrotizing scleritis rather than an independent entity of scleritis.