Uveitis is an inflammation of the uvea of the eye. What is ocular uveitis and how to treat it? Other causes of uveitis

Uveitis is an inflammation of the choroid of the eye, which manifests itself as pain, increased sensitivity to light, lacrimation, and blurred vision.

The uveal tract has a complex structure, located between the sclera and the retina, and looks like a bunch of grapes. It consists of vessels that supply the eyes with nutrients. The uveal tract is formed by the iris, vitreous and ciliary bodies, and the choroid itself.

Classification of the disease

According to the anatomical structure of the uveal tract, the following types of uveitis are distinguished:

Front. The development of inflammation in the iris and vitreous body is characteristic. This is the most common type of disease, which can occur in the form of iritis, anterior cyclitis,;
Intermediate. Inflammation affects the ciliary body, retina, vitreous body, and choroid. The pathology occurs in the form of posterior cyclitis, pars planitis;
Rear. Damage to the choroid, retina, and optic nerve is typical. Depending on the location of the pathological process, chorioretinitis, retinitis, choroiditis, neurouveitis may occur;
Generalized. The inflammatory process affects all parts of the uveal tract. In such cases, they talk about the development of panuveitis.

Depending on the nature of inflammation, 4 forms of pathology are distinguished:

Serous;
Purulent;
Fibrinous-plastic;
Mixed.

Based on etiological factors, uveitis is usually divided into:

Endogenous. Infectious agents enter the eye through the bloodstream;
Exogenous. Infection occurs as a result of injury to the choroid of the eye.

Uveitis can develop as a primary disease when it is not preceded by pathological processes. Secondary uveitis is distinguished when the pathology occurs against the background of other eye diseases.

According to the nature of the flow, they are distinguished:

acute process, the duration of which does not exceed 3 months;
chronic pathology that lasts more than 3-4 months;
recurrent uveitis, when after complete recovery inflammation of the uveal tract develops again.

Etiological factors

The following reasons for the development of uveitis are identified:

bacterial infection caused by streptococci, staphylococci, chlamydia, toxoplasma, tubercle bacilli, Brucella, treponema pallidum, leptospira;
viral infection: herpes virus (including the causative agent of chickenpox), cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, HIV;
fungal infection;
the presence of foci of chronic infection - tonsillitis, caries, sinusitis;
development of sepsis;
autoimmune diseases (rheumatism, systemic lupus erythematosus, spondyloarthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, polychondritis, interstitial nephritis, glomerulonephritis);
eye injuries, burns, foreign bodies;
hormonal imbalances;
eye damage from chemical reagents;
genetic predisposition;
development of hay fever, food allergies;
metabolic disorders.

The disease often develops in patients who have a history of other eye pathologies. In childhood and old age, infectious uveitis is mainly diagnosed, which occurs against the background of allergies or stressful situations.

Symptoms of the disease

The clinical picture depends on the localization of the inflammatory process, the state of the immune system, and the nature of the disease. In acute anterior uveitis, patients report the following symptoms:

soreness and redness of the affected eye;
constriction of the pupil;
increased lacrimation;
photophobia;
decreased visual acuity and clarity;
increased

Chronic inflammation of the anterior uveal tract is characterized by an asymptomatic course. Only in some cases do patients notice slight redness of the eyeballs and the appearance of dots in front of the eyes.

A characteristic sign of peripheral uveitis is damage to both eyes. Patients complain of decreased central vision and the appearance of “floaters” before the eyes.

The following symptoms are typical for posterior uveitis:

feeling of blurred vision;
objects become distorted;
the appearance of floating spots before the eyes;
decreased visual acuity.

It is also possible to develop macular edema, optic neuropathy, macular ischemia, and retinal detachment.

Diagnostic measures

Diagnosis of uveitis is carried out by an ophthalmologist. As part of the initial appointment, the specialist must examine the eyes, check visual acuity, visual fields, and conduct tonometry to determine the value of intraocular pressure.

Additionally, the following studies are carried out:

Ultrasound of the eye;
study of pupillary reaction;
biomicroscopy, which involves examining the eye using a slit lamp;
gonioscopy, which allows you to determine the angle of the anterior chamber;
. The study is carried out to study the fundus of the eye;
fluorescein angiography of the retina;
tomography of various eye structures if necessary;
electroretinography;
rheoophthalmography, which allows you to measure the speed of blood flow in the vessels of the eyes.

Features of treatment

Drug therapy for anterior and posterior uveitis involves the use of the following groups of drugs:

Broad-spectrum antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, macrolides, cephalosporins). Drugs can be administered subconjunctivally, intravitreally, or parenterally. The choice of a suitable antibiotic depends on the type of pathogen, its sensitivity to drugs;
Antiviral drugs are prescribed for the treatment of uveitis of viral origin. Widely used: while taking Viferon or Cycloferon. Medicines are prescribed in the form of intravitreal injections or taken orally;
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticosteroids can stop inflammation in a short time. Dexamethasone or prednisolone drops are prescribed subconjunctivally, Ibuprofen, Movalis or Butadione are taken orally;
Immunosuppressants are used when anti-inflammatory treatment is ineffective. Cyclosporine and Methotrexate are indicated, which can suppress immune reactions;
To prevent the occurrence of adhesions, drops of Cyclopentolate, Tropicamide, Atropine are recommended;
Fibrinolytics have a resolving effect. Widely used: Gemaza, Lidazu, Wobenzym;
Complex multivitamins;
Antihistamines: Claritin, Lorano, Cetrin, Clemastin, Suprastin.

If drug therapy helps eliminate acute inflammation, then physiotherapeutic treatment is indicated. Electrophoresis, infitatherapy, laser blood irradiation, vacuum pulse massage, phototherapy, phonophoresis, laser coagulation, cryotherapy are highly effective.

Surgical intervention

The development of complications or severe course of uveitis requires surgical treatment. The operation may include the following steps:

dissection of the commissure between the iris and the lens;
removal of the vitreous, glaucoma or;
soldering of the retina using a laser;
removal of the eyeball.

Surgery does not always have a favorable outcome. In some cases, surgery causes an exacerbation of the inflammatory process.

Traditional medicine methods

During the treatment of uveitis, you can use some folk recipes. However, before any manipulation you need to consult your doctor.

The following recipes will help effectively eliminate inflammation:

washing the eyes with a medicinal decoction. It is necessary to take equal quantities of chamomile, calendula, and sage flowers. Grind the raw materials. Take 3 tablespoons of the mixture and pour a glass of boiling water. The composition is infused for 1 hour. Strain the resulting product and rinse the eyes with the decoction;
aloe juice is diluted with cold boiled water in a ratio of 1:10. The resulting solution is dripped 1 drop no more than 3 times a day into the affected eye;
marshmallow root lotions. The raw materials should be crushed, pour 3-4 tablespoons of 200 ml of cold water. The product is infused for 8 hours, then used for lotions.

Complications and prognosis

Without effective treatment, uveitis can lead to the development of serious eye diseases:

cataracts, in which the lens becomes cloudy;
damage to the retina up to its;
, developing due to impaired outflow of fluid inside the eye;
persistent vitreous opacification;
damage to the optic nerve;
pupillary fusion, in which the pupil stops responding to light due to adherence to the lens.

With timely and comprehensive treatment of acute inflammation of the eye, it is possible to completely cure the patient in 3-6 weeks. However, chronic uveitis is prone to relapses when the underlying pathology worsens, which significantly complicates therapy and worsens the prognosis.

Uveitis is an inflammatory pathology of the choroid of the eye that can lead to complete loss of vision. Therefore, it is so important to diagnose and begin treatment of the disease in time. Prevention of the disease is of great importance, which involves timely treatment of pathological processes in the body, exclusion of household eye injuries, and allergization of the body.

Uveitis is a general term for an inflammatory disease of the choroid of the eyeball. Translated from Greek “uvea” means “grape”, since in appearance the choroid of the eye resembles a bunch of grapes.

Symptoms of uveitis

Manifestations of uveitis can be different, depending on the location of the inflammatory focus, the body's resistance and the aggressiveness of the infection. With a certain combination of these factors, the manifestations of anterior uveitis can increase in a certain sequence: a slight “fog” before the eye; feeling of heaviness in the eye; significant visual impairment; redness of the eye; aching pain in the eye; narrow pupil that does not respond to light; photophobia and lacrimation; acute eye pain with increased intraocular pressure; complete blindness of the eye.
With posterior uveitis, the symptoms of the disease appear late and are mild - there is no pain or redness of the eye. The eye does not turn red. Vision decreases gradually and is expressed in the appearance of a “spot” in front of the eye (scotoma), “fog” or “veil”.

Diagnosis and treatment of uveitis

An ophthalmologist diagnoses and treats uveitis.

Like other diseases, uveitis can be detected at an early stage. The sooner treatment begins, the greater the chances of a full recovery without damage to vision. If uveitis is left untreated, it can lead to serious diseases such as cataracts (clouding of the lens) and secondary glaucoma (due to impaired outflow of intraocular fluid). With anterior uveitis, posterior synechia or fusion of the pupil often occurs (in this case, the edge of the pupil sticks to the lens in one area or along the entire circumference, as a result of which the pupil becomes uneven and stops responding to light). Posterior uveitis can lead to permanent opacification of the vitreous, damage to the retina (edema, formation of new pathological vessels, retinal detachment) or damage to the optic nerve. The second eye may be involved in the pathological process.

An ophthalmologist diagnoses and treats uveitis. To confirm the diagnosis, biomicroscopic examination of the anterior segment of the eye, ophthalmoscopy of the fundus and ultrasound scanning of the eye structures are used.
The difficulty of effective treatment of uveitis is due to the fact that even with the most thorough examination, in approximately 30% of cases the true cause cannot be identified. Therefore, pharmacotherapy for uveitis has a general pathogenetic focus and includes systemic and local anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, vasodilating, immunostimulating therapy, enzyme therapy, and physiotherapy. In all cases, local treatment is prescribed in the form of eye drops, ointments, injections under the conjunctiva and into the parabulbar space. It is especially important to use drops that dilate the pupil to avoid the formation of adhesions and adhesions. In some cases, medications are required to reduce increased intraocular pressure (drops, hirudotherapy).
This approach to treatment stops the inflammatory process, but does not guarantee the elimination of relapse (exacerbation) of uveitis. Therefore, in parallel with anti-inflammatory treatment, it is necessary, if possible, to examine the body as completely as possible.

Uveitis is an inflammatory disease of the choroid of the eye. The choroid is also called the uveal tract and consists of 3 parts: the ciliary body, the iris and the choroid. The uveal tract performs one of the most important functions - it provides blood supply to all the main structural elements of the eye. Uveitis of the eye is one of the most common causes of decreased visual acuity up to complete blindness.

Among all inflammatory diseases of the eye, uveitis accounts for almost half of the cases; in 30% of cases, inflammation leads to a sharp decrease in vision or its complete loss. This disease is recorded on average in 1 person per 2-3 thousand of the population, while in men it is 2 times more common than in women.

Classification

Depending on the location of the inflammatory process, uveitis can be anterior, posterior, peripheral and diffuse.

The most common is anterior uveitis, it comes in the following types:

Iritis is inflammation of the iris.
Cyclitis is inflammation of the ciliary body.
Iridocyclitis is an inflammation of the ciliary body and iris.

Posterior uveitis (choroiditis) is inflammation of the posterior part of the choroid (choroid) with damage to the retina and optic nerve (chorioretinitis, neurouveitis).

Peripheral – inflammation of the ciliary body and choroid with damage to the retina and vitreous body.

Diffuse (panuveitis) - damage to both the anterior and posterior parts of the choroid.

Depending on the etiology, ocular uveitis can be exogenous (when the infection spreads from the cornea, sclera, orbit, etc.) and endogenous (the infection enters through the blood or autoimmune mechanisms).

Depending on the course of the disease - acute, subacute and chronic.

Depending on the nature of the inflammatory process - serous, fibrinous, purulent, hemorrhagic, mixed.

ICD-10 code

H20. Iridocyclitis.
H21. Other diseases of the iris and ciliary body.

Symptoms of uveitis of the eye

General symptoms:

Pain in the eyeball. On palpation the pain intensifies.
Redness of the eye.
Decreased visual acuity.
Increased sensitivity of the eye to light.
The so-called “floaters” before the eyes.

In addition to the general signs of uveitis, other symptoms characteristic of a particular type of disease are added.

Symptoms of anterior uveitis:

Tearing.
Constriction of the pupil, irregular pupil shape.
Photophobia.
Increased intraocular pressure.

Symptoms of peripheral uveitis:

Usually both eyes are affected.
Decreased central vision.
Blurred vision, outlines of objects blur.

Symptoms of posterior uveitis:

Flashes before the eyes.
Distortion of the shape of objects. Hemeralopia.
Sometimes – scotoma, absence of pain.

Symptoms of panuveitis: since panuveitis is a lesion of both the anterior and posterior parts of the choroid, all of the above symptoms apply to it.

Causes

This disease can be caused by various reasons, the main ones are the following:

Infections – uveitis of an infectious nature occurs in 45% of cases. The causative agents of the inflammatory process are most often streptococci, toxoplasma, mycobacterium tuberculosis, cytomegalovirus, treponema pallidum, and fungi. Infectious agents penetrate the vascular bed from any source of infection, usually with tuberculosis, sepsis, tonsillitis, syphilis, influenza and even dental caries.
Allergic reaction - can cause inflammation of the choroid with the development of allergies to medications and food, hay fever, administration of potent serums and vaccines.
Systemic diseases - rheumatism, spondyloarthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, Reiter's syndrome, sarcoidosis, glomerulonephritis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, etc.
Eye injuries – burns, punctures, eye cuts, foreign body getting into the eye.
Hormonal disorders - diabetes, menopause, blood diseases, etc.
Eye diseases – keratitis, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, retinal detachment, scleritis, etc.

Diagnostics

When the first symptoms of uveitis appear in the form of pain in the eyes, redness, and decreased visual acuity, you should consult an ophthalmologist. The doctor will first conduct an external examination of the eyes (pay attention to the condition of the skin of the eyelids, pupils, conjunctiva), visometry (determining visual acuity), perimetry (examination of visual fields). Intraocular pressure should also be measured.

Additionally, to diagnose uveitis, the following studies are performed: biomicroscopy, gonioscopy, ophthalmoscopy, ultrasound of the eye, angiography of retinal vessels. To clarify the diagnosis, rheoophthalmography, electroretinography, and optical coherence tomography are sometimes performed. To identify the underlying disease that caused uveitis, a consultation is held with an allergist, endocrinologist, and infectious disease specialist with all the necessary tests.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with the following diseases:

Anterior uveitis - with keratitis, scleritis, conjunctivitis, episcleritis, acute attack of glaucoma.
Posterior uveitis – with tumors of the choroid, the initial phase of retinal detachment.

Complications

Due to deposits of lens masses, visual acuity decreases up to complete blindness. The sooner treatment is started, the greater the chance of stopping the process of vision loss. As a result of posterior synechiae (adhesions) of the iris, intraocular pressure increases and angle-closure glaucoma develops. Other complications of inflammation of the choroid are cataracts, vasculitis, papilledema, and retinal detachment.

Treatment of uveitis

It is very important to differentiate uveitis from other diseases as early as possible, and also to establish the underlying disease that caused uveitis. After this, treatment of uveitis by an ophthalmologist is reduced to preventing complications and measures to preserve vision, and the main efforts are directed to treating the underlying disease, for example, infection or allergy.

Treatment of anterior and posterior uveitis is carried out using antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cytostatics, antihistamines (for allergies), etc.

Mydriatics are also prescribed, which are designed to eliminate spasm of the ciliary muscle and prevent adhesions. Short-acting mydriatics:

Tropicamide (0.5% and 1%), duration of action up to 6 hours.
Cyclopentolate (0.5% and 1%), duration of action up to 24 hours.
Phenylephrine (2.5% and 10%), duration of action up to 3 hours, but without cycloplegic effect.

Long-acting mydriatics: atropine 1% - has a strong cycloplegic effect; it is not recommended to use this drug for more than 2 weeks. When the inflammatory process weakens, atropine is replaced with tropicamide.

The use of steroids plays an important role in the treatment of uveitis. Prednisolone (2 drops of a 1% suspension in the eye every 4 hours, gradually reducing the dosage), dexamethasone (0.1% solution in eye drops), betamethasone in the form of drops, ointments, parabulbar injections are prescribed. Parabulbar injections allow therapy to be administered behind the lens, in addition, the drugs penetrate the cornea in this way, which provides a longer-lasting effect. When improvement occurs, electrophoresis or phonophoresis with enzymes is used.

If the opportunity to relieve the acute phase of the disease is missed or the treatment was chosen incorrectly, i.e. in case of complications, surgical intervention may be required: dissection of the anterior and posterior synechiae (adhesions) of the iris, surgical treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, surgery to remove the vitreous, as well as evisceration of the eyeball (surgery to remove the internal contents of the eyeball).

The prognosis depends on the complexity and neglect of the underlying disease. Acute uveitis usually lasts 4-6 weeks, recurrent uveitis worsens in autumn and winter. Chorioretinitis leads to a significant decrease in visual acuity. Advances in the treatment of the underlying disease will certainly affect the treatment of uveitis.

Prevention of uveitis consists of timely treatment of eye diseases, infectious diseases, avoiding eye injuries, contact with allergens, as well as regular vision monitoring by an ophthalmologist.

Uveitis(wrong uevitis) - inflammatory pathology of various parts of the uveal tract (choroid), manifested by pain in the eyes, hypersensitivity to light, blurred vision, chronic lacrimation. The term "uvea" translated from ancient Greek means "grape". The choroid has a complex structure and is located between the sclera and the retina, resembling a bunch of grapes in appearance.

The structure of the uveal membrane has three sections: the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid, located under the retina and lining it outside.

The choroid performs a number of important functions in the human body:

The most basic and vital function of the uveal membrane for the body is to supply the eyes with blood. The anterior and posterior short and long ciliary arteries provide blood flow to various structures of the visual analyzer. All three parts of the eye are supplied with blood from different sources and are affected separately.

The parts of the choroid are also innervated differently. The branching of the vascular network of the eye and slow blood flow are factors that contribute to the retention of microbes and the development of pathology. These anatomical and physiological features influence the occurrence of uveitis and ensure their high prevalence.

With dysfunction of the choroid, the functioning of the visual analyzer is disrupted. Inflammatory diseases of the uveal tract account for about 50% of all eye pathologies. Approximately 30% of uveitis lead to a sharp drop in visual acuity or its complete loss. Men suffer from uveitis more often than women.

variety of forms and manifestations of eye lesions

Main morphological forms of pathology:

Anterior uveitis is more common than others. They are represented by the following nosologies - iritis, cyclitis,.
Posterior uveitis – choroiditis.
Median uveitis.
Peripheral uveitis.
Diffuse uveitis - damage to all parts of the uveal tract. The generalized form of the pathology is called iridocyclochoroiditis or panuveitis.

Treatment of uveitis is etiological, consisting of the use of local dosage forms in the form of eye ointments, drops, injections and systemic drug therapy. If patients with uveitis do not promptly consult an ophthalmologist and do not undergo adequate therapy, they develop severe complications: cataracts, secondary glaucoma, swelling and detachment of the retina, accretion of the lens to the pupil.

Uveitis is a disease, the outcome of which directly depends on the time of detection and consultation with a doctor. In order not to lead the pathology to loss of vision, treatment should be started as early as possible. If the redness of the eye does not go away for several days in a row, you should visit an ophthalmologist.

Etiology

The causes of uveitis are very diverse. Taking into account etiological factors, the following types of disease are distinguished:

In children and the elderly, ocular uveitis is usually infectious in nature. In this case, the provoking factors are often allergies and psychological stress.

Foci of inflammation in the uveal membrane are cotton wool-like infiltrates with fuzzy contours of yellow, gray or red color. After treatment and the disappearance of signs of inflammation, the lesions disappear without a trace or a scar is formed, visible through the sclera and looking like a white area with clear contours and vessels along the periphery.

Symptoms

The severity and variety of clinical symptoms in uveitis are determined by the localization of the pathological focus, the general resistance of the body and the virulence of the microbe.

Anterior uveitis

anterior uveitis has the most noticeable manifestations

Anterior uveitis is a unilateral disease that begins acutely and is accompanied by a change in the color of the iris. The main symptoms of the disease are: eye pain, photophobia, blurred vision, “fog” or “veil” before the eyes, hyperemia, excessive lacrimation, heaviness, pain and discomfort in the eyes, decreased sensitivity of the cornea. The pupil in this form of pathology is narrow, practically unresponsive to light and has an irregular shape. Precipitates are formed on the cornea, which are an accumulation of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and pigments floating in the chamber moisture. The acute process lasts on average 1.5-2 months. In autumn and winter the disease often recurs.

Anterior rheumatoid serous uveitis has a chronic course and a mild clinical picture. The disease is rare and is manifested by the formation of corneal precipitates, posterior adhesions of the iris, destruction of the ciliary body, and clouding of the lens. Rheumatoid uveitis has a long course, is difficult to treat and is often complicated by the development of secondary ocular pathology.

Peripheral uveitis

With peripheral uveitis, both eyes are often affected symmetrically, and “floaters” before the eyes, visual acuity deteriorates. This is the most diagnostically difficult form of pathology, since the focus of inflammation is located in an area that is difficult to study with standard ophthalmological methods. In children and young people, peripheral uveitis is especially severe.

Posterior uveitis

Posterior uveitis has mild symptoms that appear late and do not worsen the general condition of patients. In this case, there is no pain and hyperemia, vision decreases gradually, flickering dots appear before the eyes. The disease begins unnoticed: patients experience flashes and flickering before their eyes, the shape of objects is distorted, and vision becomes blurred. They experience difficulty reading, twilight vision deteriorates, and color vision is impaired. Cells are found in the vitreous humor, and white and yellow deposits are found on the retina. Posterior uveitis is complicated by macular ischemia, macular edema, retinal detachment, and retinal vasculitis.

The chronic course of any form of uveitis is characterized by the rare occurrence of mild symptoms. The patient's eyes become slightly red and floating spots appear before the eyes. In severe cases, complete blindness, glaucoma, cataracts, and inflammation of the eyeball membrane develop.

Iridocyclochoroiditis

Iridocyclochoroiditis is the most severe form of pathology, caused by inflammation of the entire vascular tract of the eye. The disease manifests itself with any combination of the symptoms described above. This is a rare and serious disease that is a consequence of hematogenous infection of the uveal tract, toxic damage or severe allergization of the body.

Diagnostics

Ophthalmologists diagnose and treat uveitis. They examine the eyes, check visual acuity, determine visual fields, and conduct tonometry.

The main diagnostic methods to detect uveitis in patients:

Biomicroscopy,
Gonioscopy,
Ophthalmoscopy,
Ultrasound of the eye,
Fluorescein angiography of the retina,
Ultrasonography,
Rheoophthalmography,
Electroretinography,
Anterior chamber paracentesis,
Vitreal and chorioretinal biopsy.

Treatment

Treatment of uveitis is complex, consisting of the use of systemic and local antimicrobial, vasodilating, immunostimulating, desensitizing drugs, enzymes, physiotherapeutic methods, hirudotherapy, and traditional medicine. Patients are usually prescribed drugs in the following dosage forms: eye drops, ointments, injections.

Traditional treatment

Treatment of uveitis is aimed at the rapid resorption of inflammatory infiltrates, especially in cases of indolent processes. If you miss the first symptoms of the disease, not only the color of the iris will change, its degeneration will develop, and everything will end in disintegration.

For drug treatment of anterior and posterior uveitis, the following is used:

Antibacterial agents broad spectrum of action from the group of macrolides, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones. The drugs are administered subconjunctivally, intravenously, intramuscularly, intravitreally. The choice of drug depends on the type of pathogen. To do this, a microbiological examination of eye discharge is carried out for microflora and the sensitivity of the isolated microbe to antibiotics is determined.
Viral uveitis is treated with antiviral drugs– “Acyclovir”, “Zovirax” in combination with “Cycloferon”, “Viferon”. They are prescribed for local use in the form of intravitreal injections, as well as for oral administration.
Anti-inflammatory drugs from the group of NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, cytostatics. Patients are prescribed eye drops with prednisolone or dexamethasone, 2 drops into the affected eye every 4 hours - “Prenacid”, “Dexoftan”, “Dexapos”. Indomethacin, Ibuprofen, Movalis, Butadione are taken internally.
Immunosuppressants prescribed when anti-inflammatory therapy is ineffective. Drugs in this group inhibit immune reactions - Cyclosporine, Methotrexate.
To prevent the formation of adhesions, eye drops “Tropicamide”, “Cyclopentolate”, “Irifrin”, “Atropine” are used. Mydriatics relieve spasm of the ciliary muscle.
Fibrinolytic drugs have a resolving effect - “Lidaza”, “Gemaza”, “Wobenzym”.
Antihistamines means “Clemastin”, “Claritin”, “Suprastin”.
Vitamin therapy.

Surgical treatment of uveitis is indicated in severe cases or in the presence of complications. The adhesions between the iris and the lens are surgically cut, the vitreous body, glaucoma, cataracts, and eyeball are removed, and the retina is soldered with a laser. The outcomes of such operations are not always favorable. An exacerbation of the inflammatory process is possible.

Physiotherapy is carried out after acute inflammatory phenomena have subsided. The most effective physiotherapeutic methods: electrophoresis, phonophoresis, vacuum pulsed eye massage, infitatherapy, ultraviolet irradiation or laser blood irradiation, laser coagulation, phototherapy, cryotherapy.

ethnoscience

The most effective and popular methods of traditional medicine that can complement the main treatment (in consultation with the doctor!):

Prevention of uveitis consists of maintaining eye hygiene, preventing general hypothermia, injuries, overwork, treating allergies and various pathologies of the body. Any eye disease should begin to be treated as early as possible so as not to provoke the development of more serious processes.

Video: mini-lecture on uveitis

What are the symptoms and causes of inflammatory uveitis of the eye? What possible treatments will help in case of anterior, intermediate, posterior or complete uveitis?

What is uveitis

The term uveitis is called an inflammatory process that affects the choroid of the eyes, that is, that part of the eye that is located between the retina and the sclera and which provides blood supply to all structures of the eye.

This inflammation can be acute, that is, manifested by sharp, unexpected symptoms, or with vague symptoms of a chronic nature.

Considered a rare disease, equally distributed between the sexes, it has a higher prevalence between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and uveitis rarely occurs in children or after 70 years.

Types of inflammation: anterior, middle, posterior, total

Uveitis can be unilateral, if it affects only one eye, or bilateral, if it affects both eyes. It can also be classified depending on the anatomical location in which it develops.

Anatomically, the following are distinguished: types of uveitis:

Front: In this case, the inflammation concerns the front part of the eye, which includes the iris, cornea and ciliary body.
Rear: Inflammation of the back of the eye, affecting the retina and uvea (back).
Intermediate: inflammation of the vitreous, which is one of the intermediate structures of the eye.
Total: This form of inflammation is localized at the level of all structures of the eye (anterior, middle and posterior parts).

Besides anatomical location, uveitis can be classified depending on the type of damage it causes:

Focal: so called because it usually comes from a site of infection, such as a rotten tooth.
Granulomatous: characterized by the appearance of characteristic deposits on the cornea, localized in the back of the eye.
Hypertensive: leading to increased intraocular pressure, a condition that may be associated with glaucoma or other pathologies of an infectious nature.
Syphilitic: This form of uveitis is closely related to a sexually transmitted disease called syphilis.

Finally, there are two types of uveitis, depending on the causes:

Exogenous: Caused by external factors such as surgery, injury, or viral, bacterial, or fungal infection.
Endogenous: Caused by internal factors such as the spread of infectious agents, systemic diseases, autoimmune disorders, or local allergic or immune reactions.

Causes of inflammation of the choroid

As previously mentioned, uveitis can be endogenous or exogenous, depending on the reasons that determined its occurrence.

In the case of exogenous uveitis, the main causes are:

Viral infections: for example, herpes.
Bacterial infections: toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, Lyme disease, leptospirosis and tuberculosis.
Injuries: surgical operations, direct eye injuries, ulcers at the level of the cornea.
Other diseases: granulomas, tooth root inflammation, sarcoidosis.

In the case of endogenous uveitis, the main causes are:

Autoimmune and rheumatic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, Kawasaki disease, Behçet's disease and ankylosing spondylitis.
Hereditary diseases: Fuchs endothelial dystrophy.
Other diseases: eye tumors, lymphoma and glaucoma.
Allergic reactions: localized or systemic.

Uveitis can also be idiopathic, that is, of unknown etiology, but often resulting from an immediate immune response to stress or cigarette smoking.

Symptoms and consequences of uveitis

Symptoms of uveitis are very variable and are associated with the part of the eye that is affected by the inflammatory process.

In anterior uveitis we will have red eyes, sensitivity to sunlight (photophobia), blurred vision, watery eyes and pain in the eyeball.

In cases of posterior and intermediate uveitis, symptoms include moderate pain, vitreous detachment (that is, from a fly-like point in the field of vision), vitreous changes, and visual disturbances.

In the case of total uveitis, pain of moderate intensity, vasculitis of the retina, vitreous body, blurred vision, photophobia and the presence of exudate at the level of the vitreous body are noted.

The picture of inflammatory uveitis can be supplemented by systemic symptoms: headache, fever and dizziness.

Possible complications of uveitis

Inflammation can be worsened by certain complications, such as:

Macular degeneration caused by serious changes in the vitreous body.
Cataract, that is, clouding of the surface of the lens, even in young patients.
Retinal degeneration caused by the accumulation of fluid in the central region of the retina with possible retinal detachment.
Increased intraocular pressure, with the development of glaucoma.
Inflammation at the level of the cornea and damage to the optic nerve.
Formation of microadhesions between the iris and the lens.

Cure uveitis with drug therapy

Drug therapy for uveitis is very variable, as it is related to the underlying cause of inflammation. However, all medications aim to reduce the symptoms, but at the same time, if possible, cure the disease that caused the uveitis.