Uveitis Aetiology Clinical features and treatment
The uveal tract is the major blood supply of the eye
Inflammation in the uveal tract is thus common because of this supply. It nourishes avascular parts in the eye, ie.cornea & lens à helps clarity
1st Classification (according to location)
- 1. Anterior uveitis
- (predominant site, anterior chamber, iris , anterior part of ciliary (pars plicata which contains the ciliary bodies that form the aqueous fluid nourishing the lens and cornea)
- Subdivisions Iritis (mainly iris) ,anterior cyclitis (mainly ciliary ) , iridocyclitis (more common )
- 2. Intermediate uveitis
- (pars plana , peripheral retina , anterior vitreous )
- Subdivision posterior cyclitis( mainly pars plana), hyalitis (mainly vitreous ), basal retinochoroiditis (retina& choroid of anterior most part)
- 3. Posterior uveitis
(Retina or choroid)
- Subtypes Choroiditis (focal or multifocal, diffuse –one ore more location or all) Chorioretinitis (when choroid is inflamed usually the retina attached to it is inflamed too) Retinochoroiditis (the opposite way, secondary involvement of choroid) Neuro-uveitis (neurological involvement)
- Usually in the fundus, the choroid gives the fundus its colour but areas of inflammation will look yellowish white and opaque.
- 4. Panuveitis- Anterior chamber, vitreous, retina and choroid (all part of the uvea)
Clinical classification (tells us about the cause)
Infectious (bacterial (TB and syphilis), viral (herpes), fungal (candida histoplasmosis), patristic (toxoplasmosis)
Non-infectious, with or without systemic association (sarcoidosis, ankalosing spondylitis, synthetic ophthalmitis)
Masquerade (mimicking uveitis) (actual tumours, lymphoma, retinoblastoma, leukaemia)
Non tumour masquerade (foreign body, retinitis pigmentosa)