Retinal vasculitis


Retinal vasculitis is inflammation of the vascular branches of the retinal artery, caused either by primary ocular disease processes, or as a specific presentation of any systemic form of vasculitis such as Behçet's disease, sarcoidosis, multiple sclerosis, or any form of systemic necrotizing vasculitis such as temporal arteritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and granulomatosis with polyangiitis, or due to lupus erythematosus, or rheumatoid arthritis. Eales disease, pars planitis, birdshot retinochoroidopathy, and Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis can also cause retinal vasculitis. Infectious pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, visceral larva migrans can also cause retinal vasculitis.

Symptoms

Retinal vasculitis presents as painless, decrease of visual acuity, visual floaters, scotomas, decreased ability to distinguish colors, and metamorphopsia.

Diseases associated with retinal vasculitis

Diagnosis

Retinal vasculitis is very rare as the only presenting symptom. Often there is sufficient systemic evidence to help the physician decide between any one of the aforementioned possible systemic diseases. For those patients who present with only vasculitis of the retinal vessels, great investigative effort should be undertaken to ensure that a systemic disease is not the hidden culprit.

Findings

Ophthalmic examination may reveal neovascularization, retinal vessel narrowing, retinal vessel cuffing, retinal hemorrhage, or possible vitritis or choroiditis.

Treatment