About uveitis

What is uveitis?

Uveitis is inflammation of the 'uvea' of the eye. The uvea is made up of three parts. The first part is the iris, which is the colored ring of tissue you can see in the mirror. The dark hole in the middle of the iris is the pupil. The second and third parts, which you cannot see directly when looking in a mirror, are the ciliary body and the choroid. They are located behind the iris. An ophthalmologist can visualize them using special examination equipment.

Inflammation of the iris is called iritis. Inflammation of the ciliary body is called intermediate uveitis or cyclitis. Inflammation of the choroid is called choroiditis. Inflammation of all three is called panuveitis.

What are the symptoms for uveitis?

The signs, symptoms and characteristics of uveitis include:

  • Eye redness
  • Eye pain
  • Light sensitivity
  • Blurred vision
  • Dark, floating spots in your field of vision (floaters)
  • Decreased vision

Symptoms may occur suddenly and get worse quickly, though in some cases, they develop gradually. They may affect one or both eyes.

The uvea is the middle layer of tissue in the wall of the eye. It consists of the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid. The choroid is sandwiched between the retina and the sclera. The retina is located at the inside wall of the eye and the sclera is the outer white part of the eye wall. The uvea provides blood flow to the deep layers of the retina. The type of uveitis you have depends on which part or parts of the eye are inflamed:

  • Iritis (anterior uveitis) affects the front of your eye and is the most common type.
  • Cyclitis (intermediate uveitis) affects the ciliary body.
  • Choroiditis and retinitis (posterior uveitis) affect the back of your eye.
  • Diffuse uveitis (panuveitis) occurs when all layers of the uvea are inflamed.

In any of these conditions, the jelly-like material in the center of your eye (vitreous) can become inflamed and infiltrated with inflammatory cells.

When to seek medical advice

Contact your doctor if you think you have the warning signs of uveitis. He or she may refer you to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist). If you're having significant Eye Pain and unexpected vision problems, seek immediate medical attention.

What are the causes for uveitis?

In about half of all cases, the specific cause of uveitis isn't clear. If a cause can be determined, it may be one of the following:

  • Eye injury or surgery
  • An autoimmune disorder, such as sarcoidosis or ankylosing spondylitis
  • An inflammatory disorder, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
  • An infection, such as cat-scratch disease, herpes zoster, syphilis, toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, Lyme disease or West Nile virus
  • A cancer that affects the eye, such as lymphoma

What are the treatments for uveitis?

Because uveitis is an inflammatory condition, the urgent treatment centers on control of the inflammation. This can be achieved with steroids given as eye drops, injection in or around the eye, orally (by mouth), or intravenously, depending on the extent and severity of the inflammation.

In certain situations, alternatives to steroids (such as indomethacin, methotrexate, and others) may be used.

The duration of the treatment may be as short as a week or several months or even years, depending on the cause.

If the cause is infectious, an anti-infective medication will also be used (for example antibiotic, antiviral, or antifungal) to combat the underlying infectious agent.

What are the risk factors for uveitis?

People with changes in certain genes may be more likely to develop uveitis. In addition, a recent study shows a significant association between uveitis and cigarette smoking.

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