
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Iridocyclitis
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Iridocyclitis a type of anterior uveitis, is a condition in which the uvea has an acute inflammation.
Pathophysiology & Etiology
Pathophysiology & Etiology
Iridocyclitis is usually caused by direct exposure of the eyes to chemicals, particularly lacrimators, but can also be caused by ocular viral infection such as herpes zoster (i.e. herpetic iridocyclitis).
There are six classifications of iridocyclitis.
- Acute: sudden symptomatic onset, lasting no more than six weeks.
- Chronic: Persisting for more than six weeks, possibly asymptomatic. Chronic iridocyclitis is usually associated with systemic disorders including ankylosing spondylitis, Behçet’s syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter’s syndrome, sarcoidosis, syphilis, tuberculosis, and Lyme disease.
- Exogenous: related to external damage to the uvea or invasion of external microorganisms.
- Endogenous: related to internal microbes.
Granulomatous or Non-granulomatous
- Granulomatous: accompanied by large keratotic precipitates.
- Non-granulomatous: accompanied by smaller keratotic precipitates.
History and Symptoms
History and Symptoms
- photophobia
- redness
- watering of the eyes
- lacrimation
- miosis, constriction of the pupil
- blurred vision
- Synechia
Treatment
Treatment
Pharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy
It can be effectively treated with tropane alkaloids or steroids.
To immobilize the iris and decrease pain, one may find tropane alkaloids effective, particularly scopolamine and atropine in 0.25% and 1% concentrations respectively. Topical steroids may be used to decrease inflammation, particularly prednisolone and dexamethasone.
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: Template:DiseaseDisorder infobox Template:Search infobox C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
