What is Uveits

Uveitis is an inflammatory disease on the group of the eye layers consisting of iris, choroid and ciliary body which is called the uvea.

Gel like substance in the middle of the eye which looks like a ball is surrounded by a sheath consists of three layers. The outermost layer is a white part called sclera, the innermost part is retina providing us our ability to see and at the middle there is uvea. Uveal inflammation is called Uveitis. Uvea has blood vessels feeding the eye. Inflammation of these structures influences all eye tissues. This situation may cause cases which threaten seeing seriously. Uveitis is a separate specialized field of eye diseases. If Uveitis is followed and treated regularly without delay and disease is accepted as an illness by the patient and well understood, successful results may be obtained.

Uveitis may affect one or all layers of uvea consisting of iris, choroid and ciliary body of the eye. This case should not be mixed with inflammation due to infection. Uveitis, although may begin with germ or virus, essentially it is a case that such germ or virus has changed its immunity response. For this reason, Uveitis is a very complicated disease and may have different course for each patient. Treatment is also personal as its course. It is necessary drug control in the treatment of Uveitis should be determined by specialized and experienced physicians.

What are the reasons of uveitis??

The reason of Uveitis cannot be determined completely in 30-40 % of the patients. Although Uveitis is formed by factors as viruses, fungi and parasites, it may arise as the symptom of any illness in a body on the eye. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the illnesses with different analyzes. Furthermore Uveitis may arise accompanied by the systemic diseases with collagen tissue and autoimmune origins. Examples are Behçet’s disease, ankylosing spondilit and rheumatoid arthritis.

Diseases causing Uveitis:

• Behçet’s disease
• Infections (bacteria, virus, parasites or fungi) may spread to the eye from other areas: Tuberculosis, syphilis, herpes, toxoplasmosis, etc
• Ocular trauma and surgery
• Autoimmune reaction (immune system diseases) rheumatic diseases, ulcerative colitis, sarcoidosis.

What are the first symptoms of Uveitis?

• Sensitivity to light,
• Blurred vision,
• Eye redness,
• Severe pain in and around the eye globe,
• Flights observed by eye,
• Glare,
• Watering eyes are the most important symptoms.

How Uveitis disease is diagnosed ?

No matter how severe it is, Uveitis is an urgent disease. Being late causes the disease to progress more. When it is late, the disease will progress. It may leave permanent side effects as deformity of pupil, cataract, and the rise in the intraocular pressure (glaucoma) because of fthe inflammation. The first thing to do when the symptoms appear is to be examined by an experienced ophthalmologist. Being late for the first examining may cause permanent loss of vision.

Some Uveitis types have typical appearance and diagnosis is immediately put. Even in such cases, if there is eclipse at the back part of the eye, advanced examinations such as eye angiography (FFA) and ultrasonography may be necessary for understanding how the vision is threatened and observing the affectivity of the treatment. Afterwards joint examinations with rheumatologists, chest diseases, skin diseases and neurology experts may be done.

How is Uveitis treatment ?

• If there is a disease causing it, that disease should be treated.
• Sun glasses may be helpful.
• Activity generally is not restricted. If the vision is decreased because of the drops used for disease or treatment to grow pupil, it is objectionable to use a car or to do jobs requiring attention.
• Diet: No special diet. (However if cortisone is given for treatment, diet without salt is applied.)
• Treatment of the Ophthalmologist:
• - Drugs: Eye drops, cortisone tablets, injections
• - Drugs that change the function of immune system,
• - Treatment of disease causing infection or Uveitis may also cause some improvement.
• - Well and frequent examination of the patients is very important, because some important results may appear during these controls. This is important for the changes to be done for the diagnosis and treatment.

BEHÇET’S DISEASE

Behçet’s disease can be seen in our country, in Japan, in Mediterranean countries and Silk Road belt and it shows itself by repeated ulcers on skin (genital area) in mouth as aphtae and Uveitis at the eye. It is discovered in 1937 by Prof.Dr.Hulusi Behçet and it is the only disease named after a Turkish scientist. Its frequency in our country is 8-30/10.000 (in USA its frequency is 1/300.000). Inflammation of the eye as one of the most important eclipse of the organs is determined in half of the patients. It shows itself as eye redness and blurry vision. Eye disease at men and young people is more frequent and its course is serious and at women it is rare and course is lighter. Symptoms on the eye may be in different types.

One of the first defined signs of the disease is the hypopyon. Only 10-20 % of the patients with eye eclipse have serious course going to complete blindness.

With control of drugs changing the immune system today, blindness in Behçet’s disease can be prevented up to rate of 80 per cents. For this reason although there is no complaint of the patients, it is important to examine the eye in detail and with advanced examination techniques assessment of the subject by an expert related with the subject.