Ophthalmologic manifestations of systemic vasculitis

Abstract

To review the systemic vasculitides and associated ocular manifestations with emphasis on publications within the last 12 months. There are multiple case reports demonstrating atypical ocular manifestations of systemic vasculitis. Often the eye findings are the initial presentation of the disorder and require a high degree of clinical suspicion to evaluate further as these conditions can compromise vision but some may also be life threatening. The systemic vasculitides are a heterogenous group of rare disorders with inflammation of blood vessels as a common feature. This review will provide a synopsis of the diseases with associated ocular manifestations. The implication for clinicians is to highlight recent case reports/series demonstrating the pathology.