Uveitis Information for Patients
Uveitis is a name for several types of inflammation of the inner part of the eye, often causing impaired vision. It is not a single disease, but a collective term referring to many different conditions within the eye. It can affect the whole of the uvea, (pan-uveitis) or any part of the uvea; front (anterior), middle (intermediate), back (posterior).
Please remember that this information is designed to aid patient / doctor communication. It should not take the place of discussing with, and questioning, your doctor about your condition. Uveitis can vary a great deal between different patients.
Below are links to a series of articles and fact sheets about the uveitis and the different types, the treatment and drugs used. It also included diagnostic tests and a glossary of commonly used terms.
All the information is also available here as PDF and Plain Text Fact Sheets.
- Essential Information
- This section contains the background material as well as more detailed fact sheets about the main different types of uveitis:- anterior, intermediate and posterior. It also includes an article about uveitis in children. Read it first as it tells you what you need to know to discuss your condition with your specialist.
- Subtypes of Uveitis
- We have fact sheets on Birdshot Chorioretinopathy and Kerouveitis and Keratitis. The website is under development, and fact sheets covering other subtypes such as White dot syndromes like MEWDS, PIC, Multifocal Choroiditis and Panuveitis Syndrome and APMPPE are coming soon.
- Drugs used to treat uveitis
-
Here you will find an overview on the drugs used
to treat different types of uveitis with specific fact sheets on
Corticosteroid tablets and Immunosupressant drugs such as Cyclosporine
and Azathioprine.
We are in still updating and developing this area of the website. More up-to-date information about other drugs being used will be posted as soon.
- Complications of Uveitis
- This section has an article about the main complications of uveitis, such as rise in eye pressure, Cataracts, Synechiae, Macular Oedema and Vitritis inflammation. It also has an article on Uveitis and Glaucoma.
- Diagnostic tests
- Procedures and monitoring tests for uveitis. We have specific fact sheets on Ophthalmic photography and Fluorescein Angiography, ERG testing, OCT scanning and bone density scanning. A DEXA scan is an important if you are put on high doses of steroid.
- Glossary of Terms
- Common terms used in eye clinics to help you understand what your doctor tells you.
Please also see our Frequently Asked Questions section for a discussion of broader topics related to uveitis. You will also find the link to this in the main navigation menu bar.