Diagnosing retinal vasculitis and its implications for treatment.

Introduction: Retinal vasculitis (RV) is a sight-threatening intraocular inflammatory condition involving retinal blood vessels. Discrimination between infectious and noninfectious etiologies is mandatory to appropriate management and favorable outcome. Areas covered: A comprehensive literature review between January 1986 and January 2019 was conducted in PubMed database. Pathophysiology, clinical and imaging features, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of RV were reviewed. Expert opinion: In any patient with RV, a tailored diagnostic approach is recommended. A masquerade syndrome should always be excluded first, and then an infectious cause must be ruled out before corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy can be considered. Clinician also should be aware of sight-threatening complications that may affect visual prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]