Retinal vasculitis in systemic disease

Retinal vasculitis may be associated with various systemic vasculitides. It can result in cystoid macular edema, retinal ischemia, and occlusive disease and resultant sight-threatening sequelae such as neovascularization, vitreous hemorrhage, and neovascular glaucoma. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the more common systemic diseases associated with retinal vasculitis, including Behçet's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, Susac's syndrome, and ANCA-associated vasculitides. The diagnostic criteria of these multisystem disorders will be reviewed, as well as their ocular manifestations and presentations. Attention will be given to various imaging modalities including fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography to evaluate their utility and describe typical clinical findings.