UVEITIS
Uveitis is inflammation of your uvea, the middle layer of your eye. It can happen for unknown reasons or because of many known conditions.
Uveitis can cause problems like pain, redness, and vision loss.
Sometimes uveitis goes away quickly, but it can come back. And sometimes it’s a chronic (long-term) condition. It can affect 1 eye or both eyes.
Uveitis is more common in adults, and the odds of having it go up with age. It’s less common in children, who make up only 2% to 20% of cases.
Uveitis can cause vision loss if it isn’t treated — so it’s important to see your eye doctor right away if you have symptoms.
SIGNS
Causes of Uveitis
Infections
Tuberculosis, Syphilis, Leprosy, Toxoplasmosis, Leptospirosis, Brucellosis, Typhoid and Rikettsial
Herpes, Dengue, Chikungunya, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Mumps, HIV, H1N1, COVID
Candida, Ring worm, Tinea, Aspergillus, Histoplasma
Auto immune diseases
Ankylosing spondylitis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, SLE, Behcet’s syndrome, Sarcoidosis,VKH disease etc.,
Cancers can cause uveitis like conditions
Lymphomas, leukaemia, and secondries from other cancers in the body (like breast cancer, lung cancer or prostate cancer)
Trauma can cause uveitis in the same eye or even other eye
When the cause is unknown the uveitis is known as idiopathic
Investigations for Uveitis
It is important to know the cause of the uveitis. Once it is identified uveitis can be treated successfully. work up of uveitis includes many investigations, which various scans for eye as well as body, lab tests from eye fluid or from body fluid like blood, sputum, urine etc.
OCT scan, FFA scan to study the retina , Ultrasound scan (B scan), etc.
Common blood tests for uveitis are: CBC, ESR, CRP, TPHA, RBS, HIV, Mantoux, Urine test
Certain uveitis may require specific investigations which are available in selected laboratories. Eg: HLA B 27, HLA B 5 1, ANA, ANCA
Mantoux test is a skin test. After the skin test patients should not touch the injection site till the reading is over. Usually reading is taken after 48 hours.
Test which cannot be done at eye hospital are: Chest X-ray, CT CHEST
Treatment of Uveitis
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
CORTICOSTEROIDS
Eye drops/ointment
Injections 1. OUTSIDE EYE
Injections 2. INSIDE EYE
Oral
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
Oral
Injections
When on these medications regular follow up with the ophthalmologist and the rheumatologist is mandatory.
Repeat blood tests are necessary during this period.