The uvea is one of the tunics of the eyeball, between the sclera and the retina outside inwards.
It includes the iris forward, ciliare body and the choroid ;
Uveitis is an inflammation of the uvea , characterized by redness and / or pain, intolerance to light ( phtophobie ) and possible visual loss .
Its incidence is 17/100000 in Western Europe ( B.Bodaghi ) .
According to the affected tissue can be distinguished also called iritis anterior uveitis , intermediate in the anterior and posterior vitreous at the posterior vitreous , retina and optic nerve . It can be called total panuveitis .
The most common causes of uveitis
– Infections : Bacteria , viruses , parasites, fungi. Examples: Toxoplasmosis , Herpes , Varicella, Herpes Zoster , cytomegalovirus , tuberculosis , syphilis , Lyme disease and candidiasis.
– Rheumatic disorders: the origin of anterior uveitis , such as ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter syndrome Fiessenger Leroy , psoriasis, Crohn’s disease , Behcet’s disease , and juvenile chronic arthritis in children. Finally sarcoidosis and systemic lupus erythematosus .
– The immune system is crucial to the fight against foreign agents in the body. It was noted that the tissue type HLA A29 is often associated with disease Bird Shot characterized by a subsequent breach of the uvea . The same tissue type HLA B51 is strongly associated with Behcet ‘s disease ( oral-genital ulcers , joint , dermatological and deep vein involvement) . Ankylosing spondylitis is associated with HLA B27 . Syndrome Vogt-Koyanagi – Harada associated with HLA typing Drw53 , DR1 , DR4 , inflammation reaches the anterior segment as well as the posterior segment of the uvea ; poliosis possible , alopecia, hearing loss , vitiligo and meningeal syndrome.
Visual loss is much more common with posterior achieved with achieving earlier , with the transition to chronicity.
The mainstay of treatment is topical steroids and so general need. Immunosuppressive medication is an assistant if needed.