Group 1 Uveitis

UVEITIS
What s Uveitis?
Uveitis [u-vee-i-tis] is a term for inflammation of the eye. It can occur in
one eye or both eyes and affects the layer of the eye called the uvea
[uvee-uh]. It also can be associated with inflammation of other parts of
the eye and last for a short (acute) or a long (chronic) time. Uveitis can be
serious and lead to permanent vision loss.

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. When you look at your eye in the mirror, you will
see the
white part of the eye (sclera) and the colored part of the eye (iris).
The iris is located inside the front of the eye. The ciliary
body is a
structure behind the iris. The choroid is a layer of blood

vessels
between the retina and the sclera. The retina lines the
inside of the
back of the eye, like wallpaper. The inside of the back of

the eye is
filled with a gel-like liquid called vitreous.

Eye with uvea
The uvea consists of structures of the eye beneath
the white of the eye (sclera). It has three parts: (1)
the iris, which is the colored part of the eye; (2) the
ciliary body, which is the structure in the eye that
secretes the transparent liquid within the front of the
eye; and (3) the choroid, which is the layer of blood
Risk factors
People with changes in certain genes may be more likely to develop
uveitis. Cigarette smoking has been associated with more difficult to
control uveitis.
Symptoms
The signs, symptoms and characteristics of uveitis may include:
•Eye redness.
•Eye sensitivity
•Eye pain..
•Blurred vision.
•Dark, floating spots in your field of vision (floaters).
•Decreased vision.
TYPES OF UVEITIS
The type of uveitis you have depends on which part or parts of the eye are inflamed:
1. ANTERIOR UVEITIS
 Anterior uveitis affects the inside of the front of your eye (between the cornea and the iris) and the
ciliary body. It is also called iritis and is the most common type of uveitis.
2. INTERMEDIATE UVEITIS
 Intermediate uveitis affects the retina and blood vessels just behind the lens (pars plana)
as well as the gel in the center of the eye (vitreous).
3.POSTERIOR UVEITIS
Posterior uveitis affects a layer on the inside of the back of your eye, either
the retina or the choroid.
PANUVEITIS
 Panuveitis occurs when all layers of the uvea are inflamed, from the front to
the back of your eye.
Causes
In about half of all cases, the specific cause of uveitis isn't clear, and the disorder may be
considered an
autoimmune disease that only affects the eye or eyes. If a cause can be determined, it may be one
of the following:
•An autoimmune or inflammatory disorder that affects other parts of the body, such as sarcoidosis,
systemic lupus erythematosus or Crohn's disease.
•Ankylosing spondylitis, a type of inflammatory disease that can cause some of the bones in the
spine to fuse, leading to back pain. Uveitis is one of the most common complications of ankylosing
spondylitis.
•An infection, such as cat-scratch disease, herpes zoster, syphilis, toxoplasmosis or tuberculosis.
•Medication side effect.
•Eye injury or surgery.

Complications
Left untreated, uveitis can cause complications, including:
Retinal swelling (macular edema).
•Retinal scarring.
•Glaucoma.
•Cataracts.
•Optic nerve damage.
•Retinal detachment.
•Permanent vision loss.

Diagnosis
When you visit an eye specialist (ophthalmologist), they will likely conduct a complete eye exam
and gather a thorough health history. The eye examination usually involves the following:
•Assessment of vision (with your glasses if you normally wear them) and the response of your
pupils to light.
•Tonometry. A tonometry exam measures the pressure inside your eye (intraocular pressure).
Numbing eyedrops may be used for this test.
•A slit-lamp examination. A slit lamp is a microscope that magnifies and illuminates the front
of your eye with an intense line of light. This evaluation is necessary to identify microscopic
inflammatory cells in the front of the eye.
•Ophthalmoscopy. Also known as funduscopy, this exam involves widening (dilating) the pupil
with eye drops and shining a bright light into the eye to examine the back of the eye.
Medications
•Drugs that reduce inflammation. Your doctor may first prescribe eye drops with an anti-
inflammatory medication, such as a corticosteroid. Eye drops are usually not enough to treat
inflammation beyond the front of the eye, so a corticosteroid injection in or around the eye or
corticosteroid tablets (taken by mouth) may be necessary.
•Drugs that control spasms. Eye drops that widen (dilate) the pupil may be prescribed to control
spasms in the iris and ciliary body, which can help relieve eye pain.
•Drugs that fight bacteria or viruses. If uveitis is caused by an infection, your doctor may
prescribe antibiotics, antiviral medications or other medicines, with or without corticosteroids, to
bring the infection under control.
Drugs that affect the immune system or destroy cells. You may need immunosuppressive
drugs if your uveitis affects both eyes, doesn't respond well to corticosteroids or becomes severe
enough to threaten your vision.
Surgical or other procedures
•Vitrectomy. Surgery to remove some of the vitreous in your eye is rarely used to
diagnose or manage the condition.
•A medication-releasing implant. For people with difficult-to-treat posterior uveitis, a

device that's implanted in the eye may be an option. This device slowly releases
corticosteroid into the eye for months or years depending on the implant used.

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UVEITIS

[uvee-uh]. It also can be associated with inflammation of other parts of

serious and lead to permanent vision loss.

structure behind the iris. The choroid is a layer of blood

back of the eye, like wallpaper. The inside of the back of

filled with a gel-like liquid called vitreous.

People with changes in certain genes may be more likely to develop

uveitis. Cigarette smoking has been associated with more difficult to

•Dark, floating spots in your field of vision (floaters).

•Medication side effect.

•Eye injury or surgery.

Retinal swelling (macular edema).

•Optic nerve damage.

•Permanent vision loss.

•A medication-releasing implant. For people with difficult-to-treat posterior uveitis, a

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