Uveitis and Other Inflammatory Eye Diseases
Uveitis and other inflammatory eye diseases are conditions that cause eye inflammation. The eye care experts at University Hospitals Eye Institute diagnose and treat the full range of inflammatory eye disorders seen in both adults and children.
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What Is Inflammatory Eye Disease?
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection, irritation and injury. The process involves the release of white blood cells to surround and protect the affected area, often causing redness and swelling.
Eye inflammation can occur as a response to infection, allergies, irritation, or injury to the eyes, eyelids or surrounding tissues. Certain autoimmune conditions – diseases in which the immune system attacks the body instead of defending it – can also cause eye inflammation. Depending on the cause of inflammation, different parts of the eye can be affected.
Uveitis
Uveitis is a form of eye inflammation that primarily affects the middle layer of tissue in the eye wall, called the uvea. Uveitis symptoms, which often come on suddenly and worsen quickly, include eye redness, eye pain and blurred vision. Uveitis can affect one or both eyes, and it can occur in people of all ages.
Infection, injury, or an autoimmune or inflammatory disease are all possible causes of uveitis. In some cases, the cause of uveitis can’t be identified. If left untreated, uveitis can be serious and lead to permanent vision loss. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent complications.
Types of Uveitis
The type of uveitis is determined by the part the eye it affects:
- Anterior uveitis affects the inside of the front of your eye (between the iris and the cornea) and the ciliary body (a ring-shaped structure located behind the iris). Also called iritis, anterior uveitis is the most common type of uveitis.
- Intermediate uveitis is inflammation of the retina, the blood vessels just behind the lens (pars plana) and the gel at the center of the eye (vitreous humor).
- Posterior uveitis, also known as choroiditis, is inflammation of the choroid or the back part of the uvea. Posterior uveitis can also affect the retina and/or the optic nerve.
- Panuveitis affects all layers of the uvea – the iris, ciliary body and choroid.
If uveitis is caused by an underlying condition, treatment may focus on that condition. If the cause is unknown, treatment may include medications for pain control and inflammation reduction and surgery.
Other Inflammatory Eyes Diseases
Other inflammatory eye disorders and related conditions diagnosed and treated at UH Eye Institute include:
- Behçet Disease
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Also called Behcet’s syndrome, Behçet disease is a rare disorder that causes blood vessel inflammation throughout the body. The disease can lead to a number of symptoms that may seem unrelated at first, including eye inflammation (uveitis), mouth sores, skin rashes and lesions, and genital sores.
- CMV Retinitis
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CMV retinitis (or cytomegalovirus retinitis) is a serious eye infection of the retina. The condition is caused by cytomegalovirus, a common virus that infects 50 to 80 percent of people at some point but rarely causes symptoms or illness. CMV retinitis most often affects people with weakened immune systems.
- Endophthalmitis
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Endophthalmitis is a bacterial or fungal infection inside the eye. The infection can be acute (develops very rapidly) or chronic (develops slowly over time). Endophthalmitis affects the aqueous humor (the fluid between the lens and cornea) and the vitreous humor (the gel at the center of the eye). Symptoms include red eyes, eye pain, vision loss, sensitivity to bright light (photophobia), watery eyes and swollen eyelids.
- Episcleritis
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Episcleritis is an inflammatory condition that affects the episcleral — the outermost layer of the clear tissue (sclera) that covers the white part of your eyes. Episcleritis often affects only one eye but can affect both. Symptoms include eye swelling, irritation and redness. The cause of the condition is often not known. Episcleritis usually goes away on its own. However, your eye doctor may prescribe eye drops to help the condition resolve faster.
- Ocular sarcoidosis
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Ocular sarcoidosis is a secondary inflammatory condition that affects people who have sarcoidosis, a condition that causes lumps or nodules of immune system cells to form in multiple parts of the body, including the eyes, skin, lymph nodes and lungs. Ocular sarcoidosis can affect any part of the eye and surrounding tissues. Symptoms can include blurred vision; eye pain; watery eyes; burning, itching or dry eyes; severe eye redness; and sensitivity to light.
- Scleritis
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Scleritis is inflammation of the sclera – the white outer layer that covers most of the surface of the eye. The condition typically causes redness and swelling of the sclera, eye tenderness and eye pain. Scleritis often occurs as a symptom of an autoimmune disease. It can usually be treated with a combination of oral medications and steroid eyedrops.