Diagnostic testing in uveitis

Abstract

Uveitis is the infl ammation of uveal tissue which includes a multitude of ocular and systemic disorders. Diagnostic tests are of crucial importance to defi ne both infectious and non-infectious etiologies in uveitis. In this measure, an armamentarium of laboratory tests including blood and fl uid serologies, ocular fl uid/tissue sampling and imaging modalities are available for clinical diagnosis of uveitis. However, the predictive values of these tests are highly dependent to the patients’ clinical fi ndings and epidemiological factors. Therefore, clinical data acquired from patient history and examination should provide a reference for choosing diagnostic tests in order to prevent misinterpreting test results that would lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment decisions. In this review, we will discuss the diagnostic tests that are frequently used in uveitis practice and their power to predict true diagnosis on a statistical perspective.