The first time I had iritis - about four years ago - I was told to go to any doctor, explain that I had gotten uveitis, and request the appropriate blood tests. I did so, the doc wrote me a script, and called later to say that all of the tests were negative.
The eye doc and reg doc told me that some people get iritis once, and sometimes there is no cause. I just assumed it was a freak accident that would never happen again.
This time around, I want to go for blood tests, but I'd like to be better educated. Are there any tests that I should specifically request? For example, I just learned today about ankylosing spondylitis and the HLA B27 gene, which no doctor has ever mentioned to me before. I am almost positive that I was never tested for this. In addition, I have had a rash on my scalp that may or may not be psoriasis for 5 years, but no doctor ever mentioned that this could be a cause of iritis.
When I go to see my doctor this time, I will ask him specifically about these disease and ask him to order the first test for me.
Are there any other tests or disorders I should ask about?
Blood work & physician visit
Moderators: Mike Bartolatz, kwork
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Mike Bartolatz
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Re: Blood work & physician visit
you should go to a dermatologist and find out if it is psoriasis as that could be the link.
HLA B27 should be tested for as well as the IL23R and ARTS1 genes linked to Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis, autoimmune thyroid disease and breast cancer.
if autoimmune disease processes occur in your immediate blood relatives, then you should be tested for them as well.
if you traveled outside of the USA prior to getting uveitis, to areas endemic for various pathogens then you could be tested for them as well. things like Salmonella, E coli, valley fever, toxocariasis, malaria, leptospirosis, onchocerciasis, histoplasmosis, whipples disease, Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, ST Louis Fever, histoplasmosis, syphilis, Gonorrhea. are linked to uveitis. if you have eaten unpasturized cheese from Baha, cal. MEX. then Bovine Tuberculosis should be checked for.
if you were hiking in the mountains and drank unpurified water, then Beaver Fever should be checked for.
with over 85 things directly lined to uveitsis it would be cost prohibitive to check for everything.
yours is most likely linked to the scalp rash.
wish you the best,
mike
HLA B27 should be tested for as well as the IL23R and ARTS1 genes linked to Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis, autoimmune thyroid disease and breast cancer.
if autoimmune disease processes occur in your immediate blood relatives, then you should be tested for them as well.
if you traveled outside of the USA prior to getting uveitis, to areas endemic for various pathogens then you could be tested for them as well. things like Salmonella, E coli, valley fever, toxocariasis, malaria, leptospirosis, onchocerciasis, histoplasmosis, whipples disease, Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, ST Louis Fever, histoplasmosis, syphilis, Gonorrhea. are linked to uveitis. if you have eaten unpasturized cheese from Baha, cal. MEX. then Bovine Tuberculosis should be checked for.
if you were hiking in the mountains and drank unpurified water, then Beaver Fever should be checked for.
with over 85 things directly lined to uveitsis it would be cost prohibitive to check for everything.
yours is most likely linked to the scalp rash.
wish you the best,
mike
Mike Bartolatz
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