Laboratory Investigations for Diagnosis of Autoimmune and Inflammatory Periocular Disease: Part I.

PURPOSE: To review the important laboratory serological investigations routinely performed for the diagnosis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the orbit and ocular adnexa.

METHODS

Review of the literature as well as personal clinical experience of the authors.

RESULTS

Periocular inflammation is a blanket term which refers to a wide variety of conditions affecting the orbit and the ocular adnexa. Although the etiology of each of these conditions is different, their similarity lies in their clinical presentation and in the fact that each of them can be vision-threatening and even life-threatening if left untreated.

CONCLUSIONS

This review covers important laboratory serological investigations specific to entities routinely encountered by orbitologists. The technique, parameters measured, and clinical importance of each of these laboratory tests are discussed in detail. Due to the extensive nature of the topic, the review has been split into 2 parts. Part I covers thyroid eye disease, IgG4-related disease, and myasthenia gravis. In part II of the review, sarcoidosis, vasculitis, Sjögren syndrome, and giant cell arteritis will be discussed.