Overview

• Subtype: intermediate uveitis

  • Definition: inflammation of the vitreous body (vitritis)

  • Etiology and clinical features: see “Posterior uveitis”

  • Diagnostics

    • Slit-lamp examination: absent or very weak irritation of the anterior chamber

    • Ophthalmoscopy

      • Vitritis with numerous cells in the vitreous body (spherical or star-shaped bodies)

      • Often posterior vitreous detachment

      • Possibly vasculitis

      • Possibly macular edema

• Initial treatment

  • Glucocorticoids

    • Topical route in anterior uveitis

    • Periocular or intraocular route in posterior uveitis

  • Cycloplegics (e.g., atropine, scopolamine)

  • Analgesics (e.g., NSAIDs)

  • Close followup examinations

• Infectious uveitis: antibiotic or antiviral therapy

• Severe cases or those resistant to initial treatment

  • Systemic glucocorticoids

  • Immunosuppressants (e.g., azathioprine, cyclosporin, infliximab)

Uveitis is often associated with HLA-B27 syndromes, such as Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and reactive arthritis.

Posterior uveitis does not manifest with pain (unlike painful anterior uveitis), because the choroid is not innervated by sensory nerves.