Uveitis refers to inflammation of the iris, ciliary body and/or choroid. Anterior uveitis consists of inflammation of the iris and ciliary body, and posterior uveitis consists of inflammation of the choroid.
Diagnosis of uveitis is based on clinical signs and clinical history (including vaccination status, changes in ocular and physical examinations). Identifying the etiology of uveitis can be difficult. However, this disease can lead to blindness or be a sign of a potentially fatal disease, which is why it is important to try to define the etiology.
The causes of uveitis can be classified as endogenous, exogenous and idiopathic. Endogenous causes have intraocular origin or affect the eye from the bloodstream or adjacent structures. Endogenous causes are responsible for most cases of uveitis and include infectious, neoplastic, toxic, metabolic and autoimmune diseases. In dogs, the infectious diseases that most frequently cause uveitis are leishmaniasis, leptospirosis and tick fever. When it comes to cats, the most common causes are feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and toxoplasmosis. Exogenous causes are external to the eye and include ocular trauma.
Treatment is adjusted accordingly to the cause of uveitis and may include systemic and/or topical anti-inflammatories and antibiotics and eye drops to reduce ocular pain.
Uveitis refers to inflammation of the iris, ciliary body and/or choroid. Anterior uveitis consists of inflammation of the iris and ciliary body, and posterior uveitis consists of inflammation of the choroid.
The diagnosis of uveitis is based on clinical signs and clinical history (including vaccination status, changes in ocular and physical examinations). Identifying the etiology of uveitis can be difficult. However, this disease can lead to blindness or be a sign of a potentially fatal disease, which is why it is important to try to define the etiology.
The causes of uveitis can be classified as endogenous, exogenous and idiopathic. Endogenous causes have intraocular origin or affect the eye from the bloodstream or adjacent structures. Endogenous causes are responsible for most cases of uveitis and include infectious, neoplastic, toxic, metabolic and autoimmune diseases. In dogs, the infectious diseases that most frequently cause uveitis are leishmaniasis, leptospirosis and tick fever. In relation to cats, the most common causes are feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and toxoplasmosis. Exogenous causes are external to the eye and include ocular trauma and chemical injuries. However, after excluding the causes previously described, it is possible to attribute an idiopathic cause to uveitis.
As for clinical signs, these may be specific to uveitis such as flare or hypopyon, or they may be more non-specific such as blepharospasm and conjunctival hyperemia.
Diagnosis is achieved based on the signs observed by slit lamp biomicroscopy, compatible with uveitis, as well as the measurement of intraocular pressure, which is generally in these cases, lower than the minimum reference value.
Treatment is adjusted accordingly to the cause of uveitis and may include systemic and/or topical anti-inflammatories and antibiotics and cycloplegic eye drops to reduce ocular pain.