Ophthalmological diagnosis in systemic vasculitis

Ocular manifestations of systemic vasculitides are extraordinarily pleomorph and have been described for many decades. In the introduction the special interaction of the immune system and the eye is outlined. Thereafter diagnostic procedures of patients suffering from systemic vasculitides are shown from an ophthalmological view point. Many examples, which show multiple possibilities of ocular manifestations on systemic vasculitides, are given. With regard to the anatomy of the eye, a review is given on the involvement of the 1) outer eye and a tear film, 2) lacrimal duct diseases, 3) diseases of the lid, 4) diseases of conjunctiva, 5) diseases of sclera, 6) diseases of the cornea, 7) diseases of the lens, 8) intraocular inflammation, 9) retinal affections, 10) optic nerve inflammation, and 11) orbiota involvement. Frequencies of these structures involved in the various systemic vasculitides are outlined. Principally every systemic vasculitis can induce every eye manifestation; however, larger patient groups show characteristic features of eye manifestations in systemic vasculitides. Special reference is given to Wegener's granulomatosis, giant-cell arteritis and Behcet vasculitis.