Systemic vasculitides - ophthalmological aspects of diagnosis

Thereafter diagnostic procedures of patients suffering from systemic vascul itides are shown from an ophthalmological view point. Many examples, which show multiple possibilities of ocular manifestations on systemic vasculitid es, 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 disea ses, 3) diseases of the lid, 4) diseases of conjunctiva, 5) diseases of scl era, 6) diseases of the cornea, 7) diseases of the lens, 8) intraocular inf lammation, 9) retinal affections, 10) optic nerve inflammation, and 11) orb ita involvement. Frequencies of these structures involved in the various sy stemic vasculitides are outlined. Principally every systemic vasculitis can induce every eye manifestation; however, larger patient groups show charac teristic features of eye manifestations in systemic vasculitides. Special r eference is given to Wegener's granulomatosis, giant-cell arteriitis and Be hcet vasculitis. Ocular manifestations of systemic vasculitides are extraor dinarily pleomorph and have been described for many decades. In the introdu ction the special interaction of the immune system and the eye is outlined.