Ophthalmologic Findings as Indicators of Systemic Disease: An Interdisciplinary Review of Diagnostic and Clinical Implications

Resumen

Systemic diseases frequently produce ophthalmologic manifestations that may function as early indicators of underlying metabolic, vascular, neurological, autoimmune, infectious, and inflammatory disorders. The present review aimed to analyze the principal ocular manifestations associated with systemic diseases and evaluate their diagnostic and clinical implications within ophthalmology, internal medicine, endocrinology, neurology, and related medical specialties. A narrative review methodology based on scientific literature analysis was employed using internationally recognized databases including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Recent peer-reviewed studies addressing ocular complications associated with systemic diseases were selected and analyzed. The reviewed evidence demonstrated that endocrine and vascular disorders, particularly diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension, represent the principal causes of systemic disease-associated ocular pathology worldwide. Diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, retinal vascular disease, optic neuropathy, thyroid eye disease, and inflammatory ocular conditions emerged as the most frequently reported manifestations. Neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis and intracranial hypertension were strongly associated with neuro-ophthalmologic abnormalities including optic neuritis and papilledema. Autoimmune disorders including systemic lupus erythematosus, Behçet’s disease, and Sjögren syndrome demonstrated substantial inflammatory ocular involvement.