Uveitis is a disease in which inflammation of the choroid of the eye (uveal tract) occurs. The vascular membrane is the middle shell of the eye, which is located under the sclera and provides accommodation, adaptation and nutrition of the retina. This shell consists of three components: the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid (actually the choroid).
Uveitis, in the absence of timely treatment, can lead to serious consequences: cataracts, secondary glaucoma, lens increment to the pupil, edema or retinal detachment, opacity of the vitreous eye, complete blindness. That is why it is so important to know the symptoms of this disease in order to seek medical help on time.
Causes of uveitis
In some cases, the cause of this disease remains unclear. It is believed that any microorganism that can cause inflammation, can cause inflammation of the choroid of the eye.
Most often, uveitis is associated with infection with herpes viruses, pathogens of tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, staphylococci, streptococci, chlamydia (chlamydial uveitis).
In childhood, the cause of uveitis is often various injuries of the choroid. Also, uveitis can be associated with systemic inflammatory processes in the body with rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid uveitis), sarcoidosis, Bechterew's disease, Reiter's syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and others.
Inflammatory process in the uveal tract is often associated with a genetic predisposition, a decrease in immunity, an allergic factor.
Classification of uveitis
According to the clinical course:
- acute uveitis (duration less than 3 months);
- chronic uveitis (more than 3 months);
- recurrent uveitis (exacerbation occurs after a period of absence of inflammation without treatment).
By localization:
- anterior uveitis (iridocyclitis) - the iris and ciliary body become inflamed;
- posterior uveitis (choroiditis, chorioretinitis) - the choroid, the retina and the optic nerve are affected;
- peripheral uveitis - inflammation of the ciliary body, as well as the anterior parts of the choroid, vitreous and retina;
- Panovitis - the vascular membrane of the eye is inflamed completely.
There are also focal and diffuse uveitis, and according to the morphological picture of the inflammatory process - granulomatous and non-granulomatous.
Symptoms of uveitis depending on localization
The main signs of anterior uveitis are:
- photophobia;
- Pain in the eyes;
- redness;
- deterioration of vision ;
- excessive tear formation;
- narrowing of the pupil.
The above symptoms are more relevant to the acute form of this type of disease. Chronic anterior uveitis in most cases has almost no pronounced symptoms, except for the sensation of "flies" before the eyes and a slight reddening.
Symptoms of posterior uveitis include:
- the appearance of "flies" before the eyes;
- "Fog", "shroud" before the eyes;
- visual distortion of objects;
- gradual decrease in vision.
As a rule, signs of posterior uveitis are manifested rather late. For this type of disease is not typical redness of the eyes and pain.
Peripheral type of uveitis is characterized by the following manifestations:
- symmetrical defeat of both eyes;
- the appearance of "flies" and "spots" before the eyes;
- deterioration of visual acuity;
- strabismus
Panoveitis is rare. This type of disease combines symptoms of anterior, intermediate and posterior uveitis.
Diagnosis of uveitis
For the diagnosis is required careful examination of the eyes with a slit lamp and ophthalmoscope, measurement of intraocular pressure. To exclude or confirm the presence of a systemic disease, other types of research (for example, a blood test) are carried out.