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iritis

  (ī-rī'tĭs) pronunciation
n.

Inflammation of the iris of the eye.

[IR(IS) + –ITIS.]

iritic i·rit'ic (ī-rĭt'ĭk) adj.
 
 
(īrī'tĭs) , inflammation of the iris, the pigmented portion of the eye surrounding the pupil. The condition is sometimes associated with diabetes, with rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and with infections such as syphilis. Iritis may cause severe pain, a swollen, discolored iris, abnormal sensitivity to light, and blurred vision. If not quickly treated, it may result in impaired vision or blindness. Iritis is treated with antibiotics or other drugs to eliminate infection, atropine to dilate the pupil and prevent scarring, and sometimes steroids to reduce inflammation.


 

Inflammation of the iris. The condition may be acute, occurring suddenly with pronounced signs, or chronic, with less severe but longer-lasting signs.

  • serous i. — iritis with a serous exudate.
 
Wikipedia: iritis
Iritis
Classification & external resources
ICD-10 H20.0
ICD-9 364.0

Iritis is a form of anterior uveitis and refers to the inflammation of the iris of the eye.

Types

A case of Iritis of the right eye
Enlarge
A case of Iritis of the right eye

There are two main types of iritis: acute and chronic. Acute iritis is a type of iritis that can heal independently within a few weeks. If treatment is provided, acute iritis improves quickly. Chronic iritis can exist for months or years before recovery occurs. Chronic iritis does not respond to treatment as well as acute iritis does. Chronic iritis is also accompanied by a higher risk of serious visual impairment.

Signs and symptoms

  • Ocular and periorbital pain
  • Photophobia
  • Consensual photophobia (pain in affected eye when light is shone in unaffected eye)
  • Blurred or cloudy vision
  • Reddened eye, especially adjacent to the iris
  • White blood cells (leukocytes) (resulting in a grey or near-white haze) and protein (resulting in tiny white dots) in the anterior chamber, often called "cells and flare."
  • Synechia or adhesion of iris to lens or cornea

Causes

People with ankylosing spondylitis and other HLA-B27 related disorders are prone to iritis, iridocyclitis, and other forms of uveal tract inflammation. Iritis is also found in those with rheumatoid arthritis, Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, lupus, Reiter's disease, chronic psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, sarcoidosis, scleroderma, and ulcerative colitis. Iritis is usually secondary to some other systemic condition, but can be the only apparent somatic symptom.

Complications

Complications of iritis may include the following: Cataract, glaucoma, corneal calcification, posterior uveitis, blindness, band keratopathy, and cystoid macular oedema.

Treatment

External links


 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Iritis" Read more

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