Uveitis: Pathogenesis, Clinical presentations and Treatment

Abstract

Uveitis a vision threatening inflammation of uvea is prevalent worldwide. In the United States uveitis has prevalence of 2.3 million people and causes 10% of all cases of blindness. Uveitis is classified by the ocular structures involved e.g., anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis.0cular TB(Eales' disease) is common in patients from Indian sub-continent. Frequent uveitis etiologies includes, Herpes simplex, Herpes zoster, cytomegalovirus, syphilis, tuberculosis, Lyme disease, toxoplasmosis and fungi. Diagnosis of uveitis is always presumptive and cannot be proved by pathology or by culture. PCR has proven most useful in diagnosis of uveitis. Treatment is mostly by acyclovir, intravenous antiviral agents, anti TB drugs for ocular tuberculosis, intravenous penicillin for ocular syphilis and sulfadiazine for Toxoplasmosis, with corticosteroids added to prevent intraocular or sight threatening inflammation. Early diagnosis and treatment of uveitis can prevent vision loss.