July 16, 2012 It is the inflammation of the iris and the ciliary body.
Causes:
Endogenous infection – infectious agents from the primarily affected focus in the organism invade the iris, choroids and radiatory body, these are mostly Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spirochetes, gonococcus, bruce, mumps and influenza viruses, streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci…
Exogenous infection – at surgical procedures or at perforated injuries
Symptoms:
Pain in the affected eye, photophobia, epiphora (excessive secretion of tears spontaneously), blepharospasm (tonus muscle spasm which closes the eyelids), decreased visual acuity.
On the clinical picture the following is visible: light eyelid edema of the affected eye with hyperemia, the eye is red because of the exudation, there is an increase of protein in the anterior chamber, precipitation of inflammatory formations, which consist of lymphocytes, endothelial, epithelioid, pigmented and plasma cells, which are glued with fibrin and deposited on the corneal endothelium creating Arlt’s triangle, exudates can form gelatinous balls that resemble a lens (iridocyclitis fibrosis), blood vessel damage may occur which leads to appearance of blood in the anterior chamber (hyphaema), there may occur synemies (splicing of the pupilar part of the iris with the lens or the iris’s root with the cornea in iridocorneal corner) which interfere with the normal drainage of the aqueous humor = secondary glaucoma, seclusion of pupil is the complete splicing of the papillary edge with the anterior lens capsule, as a result of circular synechia and causes formation of the “iris bomb” – complete block of aqueous humor in the posterior chamber, and protrusion of the middle part of the iris toward the anterior chamber, occlusion of the pupil (occlusio pupillae) is a condition in which there is a fibrous membrane which covers the lens and therefore, decreases visual acuity, due to severe hyperemia the color of the iris changes, inflammatory precipitates can penetrate into the corpus vitreum, which are seen as dust, fibrous or rag-like blur, diffuse uveitis can lead to inflammation of the choroid and the entire uveal tract.
Treatment:
Mydriatics (dilation of the pupil), corticosteroids, antibiotics, cancer drugs, immuno-suppressants, anti-flogistics.
Possible complications: secondary glaucoma due to occurrence of synechia, hypertensive iridocyclitis – increased intraocular pressure due to blockage of structures in iridocorneal canal, which drains aqueous humor, cataracta complicata, atrophy of radiatory body leads to reduced production of aqueous humor, which is the cause of the reduction of intraocular pressure – hypotonia of the eyeball, which can cause atrophy of the eyeball and the definitive loss of vision – amaurosis.