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Uveitis

Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye. It can be triggered by autoimmune disease, infection, or injury, and in many cases no cause is found. Untreated inflammation can permanently damage the retina and other structures, so prompt diagnosis and treatment is important.

Symptoms of uveitis

Symptoms depend on which part of the eye is inflamed, and can develop suddenly or gradually:

  • Eye redness and aching pain, often worse in bright light
  • Light sensitivity beyond what is normal for you
  • New floaters or haze drifting through your vision
  • Blurred vision in one or both eyes

Causes & risk factors

Uveitis is classified by where the inflammation sits: the front of the eye (anterior), the middle (intermediate), the back involving the retina and choroid (posterior), or everywhere (panuveitis). Common associations include autoimmune conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis, sarcoidosis, and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as infections. A focused lab workup looks for these when the pattern suggests it; in a large share of cases, no underlying cause is identified.

How we diagnose uveitis

Diagnosis is made by clinical examination and testing, using the slit lamp microscope to grade inflammation and a dilated exam to check the retina, with OCT, color photos, autofluorescence, and often angiography to evaluate and determine potential causes for the inflammation. Lab tests may be performed to aid in diagnosis and facilitate treatment.

How is uveitis treated?

Treatment of uveitis is often a combination of eye drops and systemic medications. Infectious uveitis is managed by treating the underlying infection. Autoimmune-associated disease is often managed together with your rheumatologist, including with both steroid and steroid-sparing medications.

Steroid therapy
Anterior uveitis usually responds to intensive steroid drops. Deeper inflammation may need steroid injections around or inside the eye, or a course of oral steroids.
Treating the underlying cause
Infectious uveitis gets targeted antimicrobial treatment. Autoimmune-associated disease is managed together with your rheumatologist, including steroid-sparing medication when inflammation keeps returning.
Managing complications
We monitor for and treat the conditions uveitis can cause, including macular edema, elevated eye pressure, and cataract.

What to expect

Most uveitis is controlled well with prompt treatment, and many patients have a single episode. Recurrent disease is managed as a long-term partnership: catching flare-ups early, tapering medication carefully, and managing the inflammation both in your eye and systemically.

Common questions

Is uveitis contagious?

No. Even when an infection triggers it, the inflammation in your eye is not something you can pass to anyone else.

Why do I need blood tests for an eye problem?

Because uveitis is often the eye’s signal of a body-wide condition. Finding an underlying cause changes the treatment and can protect more than your vision.

Will it come back?

Uveitis is often a chronic condition that does occasionally recur. With time, you will learn to recognize these flare-ups. With treatment, uveitis flare-ups can be minimized.

Sources & review

This page is educational and is not a substitute for an examination. Content follows guidance from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retina Specialists.