Professional medical service of Uvea
The word uvea originated from ‘uva’ the Latin word for grape. Uvea is the middle layer of the eye behind the external layer sclera (the white of the eye) and in front of retina, the transparent layer at the back of the eye.
The department of Uveitis and ocular immunology at Narayana Nethralaya, armed with highly qualified consultants, a well-equipped clinical laboratory and state of the art ophthalmic diagnostic equipment deals with the whole battery of ocular inflammations including autoimmune diseases and infections in both adults and children. We co-ordinate with the other subspecialities of ophthalmology and internal medicine efficiently to get the optimal treatment outcomes for patients with complex Uveitic disorders.
The Uveitis & Ocular Immunology Service provides a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of ocular inflammatory disease and other infectious disorders. Experts here deal with diagnosis and management of complex infectious and autoimmune diseases of the eye as well as eye diseases associated with various other systemic medical disorders. The diagnostics are backed by a well-equipped laboratory, pathology and molecular diagnostic services, and the consultants are conversant with appropriate intervention techniques. In addition, we have the experience with the latest treatments including the use of immunosuppressive and immunomodulation for autoimmune eye diseases. We were the first in the world to have reported “Ocular Manifestations associated with Chikungunya fever” especially Chikungunya Retinitis.
Uvea consists of three parts:
- Iris is a coloured part of the visible portion of the eye that surrounds the pupil, an opening at the centre. It contains muscles that allow the pupil to become larger (after dilatation) and smaller (after constriction);
- Ciliary body, which also contains muscles, secretes a transparent liquid within the eye; and
- Choroid, which contains blood vessels and connective tissue, lies between the sclera and the retina.
Inflammation of any of these three parts is called uveitis.
Classification of Uveitis
According to standardisation of uveitis nomenclature (SUN), uveitis is classified into –
- anterior
- intermediate
- posterior
- panuveitis
In addition to uveitis, adjacent structures may also be affected; for example, retinitis may be caused when retina is affected; similarly, uveitis may also be associated with optic neuritis (optic nerve), keratitis (cornea) and scleritis (sclera).
Causes of Uveitis
Uveitis occurs due to certain infections in the body or due to disbalance of immune system caused by various not well understood external and internal factors. It is not always possible to pin point the cause of uveitis. Common causes of uveitis are listed below:
- Infections (Bacterias, Viruses Fungus and protozoal)
- Tuberculosis, Syphilis, Leprosy, Toxoplasmosis, Leptospirosis, Brucellosis, Typhoid and Rikettsial
- Herpes, Dengue, Chikungunya, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Mumps, HIV, H1N1, COVID
- Candida, Ring worm, Tinea, Aspergillus, Histoplasma
- Auto immune diseases
- Ankylosing spondylitis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, SLE, Behcet’s syndrome, Sarcoidosis,VKH disease etc.,
- Cancers can cause uveitis like conditions
- , Lymphomas, leukaemia, and secondries from other cancers in the body (like breast cancer, lung cancer or prostate cancer)
- Trauma can cause uveitis in the same eye or even other eye
- When the cause is unknown the uveitis is known as idiopathic