Association of the different forms of uveitis with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and their treatment

The etiology of uveitis greatly varies worldwide, whereby in industrial nations noninfectious causes occur relatively more frequently. In Germany, 44% of all cases of uveitis are due to systemic diseases. In rheumatology, uveitis or other kinds of ocular inflammation, such as scleritis or retinal vasculitis, most commonly occur in spondylarthritis, vasculitis and sarcoidosis. Vice versa, ophthalmologists often ask rheumatologists about an underlying rheumatic disease in patients with uveitis. It is of utmost importance to differentiate between the different forms of uveitis. This review article presents the associations with inflammatory rheumatic diseases as well as treatment options from the point of view of both ophthalmologists and rheumatologists.