eye disorders
Overview of Uveitis
Symptoms and Signs of Uveitis
Symptoms and signs may be subtle and vary depending on the site and severity of inflammation. Anterior uveitistends to be the most symptomatic (especially when acute), usually manifesting with Pain (ocular ache) Redness Photophobia Decreased vision (to a variable degree) Chronic anterior uveitis may have less dramatic symptoms and present with irritation or decreased vision. Signs include hyperemia of the conjunctiva adjacent to the cornea (ciliary flush or limbal injection). Slit-lamp findings include keratic precipitates (white blood cell clumps on the inner corneal surface), cells and flare (a haze) in the anterior chamber (aqueous humor), and posterior synechiae. With severe anterior uveitis, white blood cells may layer in the anterior chamber (hypopyon). Intermediate uveitisis typically painless and manifests with Floaters Decreased vision The primary sign is cells in the vitreous humor. Aggregates and condensations of inflammatory cells often occur, appearing as "snowballs." Vision may be decreased because of Floaters or cystoid macular edema, which results from fluid leakage from blood vessels in the macula. Confluent and condensed vitreous cells and snowballs over the pars plana (part of the ciliary body that extends posteriorly beyond the junction of the iris and sclera) may cause a classic "snowbank" appearance, which can be associated with neovascularization of the retinal periphery. Posterior uveitismay give rise to diverse symptoms but most commonly causes floaters and decreased vision as occurs in intermediate uveitis. Signs include Cells in the vitreous humor White or yellow-white lesions in the retina (retinitis), underlying choroid (choroiditis), or both Retinal vasculitis (with whitening or obliteration of blood vessels) Optic disk edema Panuveitismay cause any combination of the previously mentioned symptoms and signs. Serious complicationsof uveitis include profound and irreversible vision loss, especially when uveitis is unrecognized, inadequately treated, or both. Themost frequent complicationsinclude Cataract (secondary to the disease process and/or to corticosteroid treatment) Cystoid macular edema (the most common cause of decreased vision in patients with uveitis) Overview of Glaucoma (secondary to the disease process and/or to corticosteroid treatment) Retinal Detachment None Band keratopathy (calcium deposition in a band-like pattern across the cornea) Neovascularization of the retina, optic nerve, or iris Hypotony (an intraocular pressure that is too low to support the health of the eye) 