Uveitis Symptoms and Causes

Uveitis (u-vee-I-tis) of the eye is inflammation inside the eye, specifically affecting one or more of the three parts of the eye that make up the uvea. The uvea 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.
• 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.

Uveitis or ocular inflammatory diseases like conjunctivitis, scleritis, keratitis are the third leading cause of blindness In developed countries. It can affect one or both eyes and can occur at any age but is most prevalent in people ages 20 to 50. Uveitis warning signs often come on suddenly and worsen quickly so urgent care is needed. Uveitis or other ocular inflammation signs, symptoms and characteristics include:

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

There are over 85 different causes of uveitis/ocular inflammatory diseases. The most frequent causes are infection, injury, or an autoimmune/inflammatory disease but may also be idiopathic. The diagnostic evaluation is much more like the diagnostic work involved in internal medicine or rheumatology than the typical work up involved in the practice of ophthalmology. Best practice for patients is to seek help with an ophthalmologist specializing in ocular inflammation/immunology.