CAUSES AND DIAGNOSIS
Uveitis is associated with a large number of diseases. These may affect the whole body or just the eyes. Its manifestations can be varied and complex. For this reason, your doctor may use the following multidisciplinary measures to find the exact cause of the inflammation:
HISTORY AND VISUAL EXAMINATION
This is the most critical step to achieve a good evaluation of the case. Your doctor will ask you several questions regarding: symptoms, problems with your eyes, diseases you suffer from, family history, drug use, sexual activity, pets, diet, occupation, hobbies, travel, etc. On the other hand, they will also perform a visual acuity test, visual field test, take your intraocular pressure, examine the fundus of your eyes, the size and reaction of your pupils, and the movement of your eyes.
BLOOD TESTS
Some labs that your doctor might order are:
1. Complete blood count, general biochemistry and erythrocyte sedimentation rate
2. Nuclear antibodies (ANA), antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), and antiphospholipid antibodies
3. ACE and Lysozyme
4. Histocompatibility antigens
5. Specific serologies
6. Skin tests
PHOTOGRAPHS AND PLATES
Some of the photographs or plates that your doctor could order are:
1. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
2. Chest X-Ray
3. Nuclear magnetic resonance
4. Angiography or electroretinography
5. Visual Evoked Potentials
Although the medical community has not established a standard-operating-procedure (SOP) for the diagnosis and treatment of uveitis, it is not unusual for doctors to refer several of them to their patients depending on the clinical picture they present. This is usually an assistive measure to assess the clinical picture. The number and variety of tests can be overwhelming, but it is an important step. The methodology used to find the root of uveitis is similar to detective work: your doctor will try to discover what exactly is causing the inflammation. However, most cases of uveitis are usually idiopathic; in other words, the exact cause of the inflammation is never found. Nonetheless, your doctor will rule out the possible main causes, using the strategies mentioned, and choose the most appropriate treatment for you. Remember, the most important thing during this process is to classify uveitis as: infectious or non-infectious.