The clinical characteristics of retinal vasculitis in HLA-B27-positive patients

To investigate the ocular and systemic manifestations of retinal vasculitis in HLA-B27-positive patients.

Retrospective noncomparative case series of 9 HLA-B27-positive patients with uveitis and retinal vasculitis. Main outcome measures consisted of ocular and angiographic findings and assessment of any additional systemic disorders.

Three male and 6 female HLA-B27-positive patients with a median age of 32 years were diagnosed with retinal vasculitis. Concurrent intraocular inflammation was noted in all patients. All patients suffered from extensive vasculitis of the large retinal veins. Five patients developed retinal vasculitis at the onset of uveitis and the remaining 4 exhibited retinal vasculitis 1-15 years after the onset of uveitis. Vascular occlusions occurred in 4 patients and subsequent neovascularizations developed in 3. Three patients were diagnosed with an HLA-B27-associated systemic disease.

Retinal vasculitis may develop in the wake of HLA-B27-associated uveitis and might represent a rare manifestation of HLA-B27-associated disease.