Current opinion in rheumatology
August 25, 2026 · via Europe PMC
The eye in systemic vasculitis.
Eser-Ozturk H, Tugal-Tutkun I.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
This review summarizes how ocular involvement in systemic vasculitis can be an early or isolated disease sign, with recent advances in imaging (vascular ultrasound, ultra-widefield angiography) and targeted therapies (such as rituximab for orbital inflammation) improving diagnosis and treatment, though most approaches still need larger prospective validation.
What was studied
A narrative review summarizing the spectrum of ocular manifestations in systemic vasculitis (giant cell arteritis, Takayasu arteritis, ANCA-associated vasculitis, Behçet disease), covering recent advances in clinical recognition, multimodal imaging, biomarkers, and targeted treatment.
Key findings
- Ocular involvement may precede systemic manifestations of vasculitis and can affect the anterior segment, retina, choroid, optic nerve, or orbit.
- In giant cell arteritis, vascular ultrasound is described as a preferred first-line imaging modality, with orbital/retinal imaging providing complementary information.
- Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography improves detection of peripheral retinal nonperfusion in Takayasu arteritis.
- In ANCA-associated vasculitis (particularly granulomatosis with polyangiitis), ocular/orbital inflammation may be the initial or isolated manifestation, with rituximab-based therapy associated with favorable outcomes in orbital inflammatory disease; emerging ocular-specific diagnostic criteria and treat-to-target strategies are being developed for Behçet uveitis.
Clinical relevance
The findings suggest that prompt recognition of ocular signs (which may be the first or only manifestation of systemic vasculitis) and use of newer imaging and targeted therapies can help prevent irreversible vision loss, which is directly relevant to multidisciplinary management of vasculitis patients, though the review notes many approaches still require validation in larger prospective studies.
Who should care
Limitations
This is a narrative review rather than original research; the authors explicitly note that standardized ocular outcome measures and validation of emerging imaging/molecular biomarkers in larger prospective studies remain important priorities.
Eye involvement can be an early warning sign of systemic vasculitis, and newer imaging techniques and targeted therapies like rituximab are improving diagnosis and treatment, though further validation is needed.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Purpose of review
This review summarizes the spectrum of ocular manifestations in systemic vasculitis, emphasizing recent advances in clinical recognition, multimodal imaging, biomarkers, and targeted treatment.
Recent findings
Ocular involvement may precede systemic manifestations and affect the anterior segment, retina, choroid, optic nerve, or orbit. In giant cell arteritis, vascular ultrasound is a preferred first-line imaging modality, while orbital and retinal imaging may provide complementary information on ischemic injury and treatment response. Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography improves the detection of peripheral retinal nonperfusion in Takayasu arteritis. In antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, particularly granulomatosis with polyangiitis, ocular or orbital inflammation may be the initial or isolated manifestation, and rituximab-based therapy has been associated with favorable outcomes in orbital inflammatory disease. In Behçet uveitis, ocular-specific diagnostic criteria, imaging biomarkers, and treat-to-target biologic strategies are emerging. However, many of these approaches require validation in larger prospective studies.
Summary
Prompt recognition and multidisciplinary management are essential to prevent irreversible visual loss. New imaging methods and targeted therapies have broadened diagnostic and therapeutic options. Despite these advances, standardized ocular outcome measures and validation of emerging imaging and molecular biomarkers remain important priorities.
DOI
10.1097/bor.0000000000001191
PMID
42643002
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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