Overview
Uveitis is a form of eye inflammation that affects the middle layer of tissue in the eye, called the uvea. It can cause redness, pain, blurred vision and floaters.
Uveitis (u-vee-I-tis) warning signs often come on suddenly and get worse quickly. The condition can affect one or both eyes, and it can affect people of all ages, even children.
Possible causes of uveitis are infection, injury, or an autoimmune or inflammatory disease. Many times, a cause can't be identified.
Uveitis can be serious, leading to permanent vision loss. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent complications and save your vision.
Symptoms
Symptoms of uveitis may include:
- Eye redness.
- Eye pain.
- Light sensitivity.
- Blurred vision.
- Dark, floating spots in your field of vision, called floaters.
- Decreased vision.
Symptoms may come on suddenly and get worse quickly. Though in some cases, they develop gradually. They may affect one or both eyes. Sometimes, there are no symptoms, and signs of uveitis are found on a routine eye exam.
The uvea is the middle layer of tissue in the wall of the eye. This layer of tissue includes 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, called the sclera, and the colored part of the eye, called the 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.
The type of uveitis you have depends on which part or parts of the eye are inflamed:
- Anterior uveitis affects the inside of the front of the eye (between the cornea and the iris) and the ciliary body. It also is called iritis and is the most common type of 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, called vitreous.
- Posterior uveitis affects a layer on the inside of the back of the eye, either the retina or the choroid.
- Panuveitis occurs when all layers of the uvea are inflamed, from the front to the back of the eye.
When to seek medical advice
Contact your healthcare team if you think you have the warning signs of uveitis. You may be referred to an eye specialist, called an ophthalmologist. If you're having significant eye pain and unexpected vision problems, seek immediate medical attention.
Eye with uvea
The uvea consists of structures of the eye beneath the white of the eye, called the 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 vessels between the sclera and the retina.
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Causes
In about half of all cases, the specific cause of uveitis isn't clear, and the condition may be considered an autoimmune disease that only affects the eye or eyes. If a cause can be found, it may be one of the following:
- An autoimmune or inflammatory disease 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, shingles, syphilis, toxoplasmosis or tuberculosis.
- Medicine side effect.
- Eye injury or surgery.
- Very rarely, a cancer that affects the eye, such as lymphoma.
Risk factors
People with changes in certain genes may be more likely to develop uveitis. Cigarette smoking has been associated with uveitis that's more difficult to control.
Complications
Left untreated, uveitis can cause complications, including:
- Retinal swelling, called macular edema.
- Retinal scarring.
- Glaucoma.
- Cataracts.
- Optic nerve damage.
- Retinal detachment.
- Permanent vision loss.
