What is uveitis disease

The institutional review board of the Medical University of Vienna approved this study. Since September , data from all patients referred to the Uveitis Unit of the Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, were systematically recorded.

A total of consecutive patient records were analyzed for this study. The uveitis subtypes were classified based on the specific disease patterns and diagnoses following the recommendations of the International Uveitis Study Group and the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature SUN working group [ 23 , 24 ].

Guided by the medical history of each patient, investigations of the anatomical location and character of the inflammation as well as subsequent diagnostics were performed using a tailored approach [ 25 , 26 ]. All patients were treated in a multidisciplinary setting and referred to the respective specialist if systemic disease was suspected. Factors considered to satisfy the criteria of specific diagnosis included well-defined a etiology, typical clinical appearance and history or classification based on pathological or pathognomonic laboratory parameters.

All patients with acute anterior uveitis were typed selectively for presence of the HLA-B27 antigen, as HLA-B27—associated acute anterior uveitis with or without systemic disease is recognized as a specific uveitis entity [ 27 ]. All uveitis patients with multifocal choroiditis showing the typical clinical appearance of birdshot choroidopathy were typed for the HLA-A29 antigen [ 28 ]. These two HLA-antigen predispositions are considered to be pathognomonic when combined with the typical clinical appearance.

Descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS The patient sample comprised women and men Uveitis occurred at a mean age of The anatomical classification of uveitis was anterior in Figure 1 summarizes the distribution of unclassified and classified cases in these four groups.

Percentage of unclassified and classified cases according to anatomical localization of uveitis. Diseases with primarily arthritic manifestations and uveitis were diagnosed in cases Infectious uveitis was diagnosed in patients Of these cases, 99 were associated with current systemic infections Table 1.

Of the purely ocular infections, cases were diagnosed with herpetic anterior uveitis, 14 with acute retinal necrosis ARN , with ocular toxoplasmosis and 18 with ocular toxocarosis. Non-infectious systemic diseases with primarily non-arthritic manifestations were diagnosed in cases 8. In the anterior uveitis AU group, specific diagnoses could be established in HLA-B27—associated acute anterior uveitis was diagnosed in cases Herpetic anterior uveitis and HCF were found in JIA was seen in 3.

In addition, uveitis was associated with sarcoidosis in 2. In the posterior uveitis group, a specific diagnosis could be established in Posterior uveitis was associated with systemic infections in 5. For patients with panuveitis, a specific diagnosis could be established in Panuveitis was associated with systemic infections in Of the Uveitis cases, Table 2 summarizes the most common etiologies of uveitis cases and their anatomical distribution.

The mean age at the onset of disease for the different specific entities can be seen in Table 3. The spectrum of specific diagnoses was narrow; JIA Specific diagnoses were established in These included JIA In this age group, the disease entities were diverse and are listed in Table 2.

The diversity of specific entities was again reduced; In this study, we were able to establish specific diagnoses in Overall, the largest diagnostic group comprised patients with ocular syndromes, followed by those with infectious diseases, arthritic diseases and, lastly, non-infectious systemic diseases.

The differential diagnosis of uveitis has changed over time. Tuberculosis and syphilis, the former main causes of uveitis, are now diagnosed in only 2.

More recently, however, increased frequency of these diseases has been noted. Factors that affect the changing patterns of uveitis include the rise of autoimmune diseases, appearance of new infections, description of new disease entities, better treatment of certain diseases, availability of new diagnostic tests and more refined classification of uveitis cases.

In the present study, the frequencies of different uveitis entities in different age groups were analyzed. In small children, only a few entities were discerned, including JIA, ocular toxoplasmosis, herpetic uveitis, pars planets, sarcoidosis, reactive arthritis, systemic infections and idiopathic anterior uveitis. In the elderly, the spectrum of specific diagnoses was again narrower; the major specific entities consisted of infections herpes virus and toxoplasmosis and masquerade syndromes.

Nevertheless, most entities were observed in all age groups. Droopy eyelids can affect more than your appearance. Over time, they can start to limit your field of vision and impact your ability to see. Keratoconus is a disorder that leads to thinning of your cornea. It primarily affects children and young adults. We explain causes, treatment, and…. Iritis, also known as anterior uveitis, involves the inflammation of the iris, the colored part of your eye.

It's important to get medical care if you…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Ann Marie Griff, O. More severe cases can cause vision loss if not treated early. What are the symptoms of uveitis?

Pictures of uveitis. What causes uveitis? How is uveitis diagnosed? Types of uveitis. How is uveitis treated? Potential complications from uveitis. Post-treatment recovery and outlook. How can uveitis be prevented?

Read this next. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Pinpoint Pupils. What is uveitis? What is the uvea? It has 3 parts: Iris the colored part of the eye Ciliary body the part of the eye that helps the lens focus Choroid the part of the eye that connects the retina to the sclera.

See larger image. What are the types of uveitis? Different types of uveitis affect different parts of the eye. Anterior uveitis affects the iris at the front of the eye. Intermediate uveitis affects the ciliary body and the vitreous gel-like fluid that fills the eye. Posterior uveitis affects the retina and the choroid at the back of the eye. Panuveitis affects all parts of the uvea, from the front to the back of the eye. What are the symptoms of uveitis?

Early uveitis symptoms usually start suddenly. Symptoms include: Blurry vision Floaters small dark spots or squiggly lines that float across your vision Eye pain Red eyes Sensitivity to light If you notice these symptoms, see your eye doctor right away. Am I at risk for uveitis? What causes uveitis? How will my eye doctor check for uveitis? Learn what to expect from a dilated eye exam.