Intermediate uveitis and multiple sclerosis: to scan or not to scan

The investigation and management of inflammatory eye disease is complex and relies on detailed history taking and examination. It is not therefore unexpected that many patients are over-investigated. A question that has caused much debate in the past is whether patients with intermediate uveitis (IU), particularly young Caucasian women with no neurological symptoms, should have routine neuroimaging to ‘screen’ for multiple sclerosis (MS). In this editorial, we discuss the key issues related to the clinical presentation of IU, its association with MS and the rationale for investigation; in particular, we put forward our view that neuroimaging should not be carried out as a screening tool for patients with IU. IU is the term given to inflammation, which has the vitreous as its focal site. It can be caused by a number of infections including tuberculosis (TB), syphilis, Lyme disease, toxocariasis, Whipple's disease and Epstein–Barr virus. IU is also associated...
Source: British Journal of Ophthalmology - Category: Opthalmology Authors: Tags: Choroid, Ciliary body, Neurology, Epidemiology Editorials Source Type: research