What is Iritis?
Iritis refers to an inflammation of the iris, which is the coloured part of the eye surrounding the pupil.
There are three main types of iritis:
- Acute Iritis: Sudden onset and tends to resolve within 6 weeks with appropriate treatment.
- Chronic Iritis: The inflammation does not respond so well to treatment and becomes persistent, often lasting more than 3 months.
- Recurrent Iritis: The disease settles down before frequently relapsing (flares up).
Cause of Iritis
Iritis is a relatively uncommon condition and, in the vast majority of cases, the cause is unknown. It is thought that iritis is a type of autoimmune reaction.
Much less commonly the inflammation can involve the middle part of the eye (Intermediate Uveitis) or even the back of the eye (Posterior Uveitis). Patients who have bilateral iritis (both eyes affected), recurrent iritis or intermediate/posterior uveitis are more likely to have a systemic condition e.g. ankylosing spondylitis, sarcoidosis.
Symptoms of Iritis
Often, the first sign of a problem is discomfort and tenderness around the affected eye. The eye becomes red and very sensitive to light (photophobia). Vision may be blurred for distance or near.
Treatment and Prognosis
The inflammation from iritis usually settles down fairly quickly with intensive topical steroids. Occasionally dilating drops are also prescribed to relieve symptoms and avoid the pupil sticking to the lens sitting just behind the iris. Problems such as cataracts and glaucoma can occur in cases resistant to treatment.
Intermediate and posterior uveitis tend to be more serious and carry a greater chance of affecting vision. These conditions often require specialist treatment depending on the cause.
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