Retinal vasculitis in polyarteritis nodosa

Although uncommon, a wide variety of ocular manifestations can be seen in polyarteritis nodosa. These occur as a result of the arteritis or secondary to the associated renal induced hypertension. A case of biopsy documented polyarteritis nodosa is reported in which the patient presented with bilateral iritis, vitritis, and a retinal vasculitis involving both the retinal arteries and veins, a feature not described previously. Patients with this potentially fatal disorder may initially present with ocular involvement; thus ophthalmologists should be familiar with the clinical features of this disease.