Retinal vasculitis associated with the anti-synthetase syndrome

A 50-year-old woman with a history of anti-Jo1-positive inflammatory myositis and interstitial lung disease presented with decreased vision in her right eye. Examination revealed white-centered hemorrhages scattered across the posterior pole in addition to several areas of vascular sheathing. Treatment was initiated with intravenous pulse solumedrol, with improvement in vision and resolution of the patient's white-centered hemorrhages. A thorough workup for other causes of vasculitis was unrevealing. Anti-synthetase syndrome is a serologically defined disorder clinically characterized by inflammatory myositis, interstitial lung disease, and other systemic findings. To our knowledge, retinal vasculitis has not been previously reported in patients with anti-synthetase syndrome.