Diagnosis of Uveitis

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

| A |

| B |

| C |

| D |

| E |

| F |

| G |

| H |

| I |

| J |

| K |

| L |

| M |

| N |

| O |

| P |

| Q |

| R |

| S |

| T |

| U |

| V |

| W |

| X |

| Y |

The diagnosis will be based on symptoms. Most cases (75%) will be anterior uveitis, in which one eye will be painful and red. The other, less common types of uveitis are not usually painful.

The eye is examined with a slit lamp (a microscope designed for eye examination). White blood cells and particles of protein (flares) in the eye fluid can be seen through the microscope. As the light beam passes through the eye, the fluid inside is seen to be milky instead of clear.

A light will be shone into the unaffected eye and this will cause both pupils to constrict. If one eye is infected with uveitis, there will be a slight pain in the eye as the pupil constricts.

There will normally be an examination of the inside of the eye to see whether any other parts of the eye are affected.

Uveitis must be distinguished from conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis never affects vision (although it may cause clouding of vision if pus briefly gets onto the cornea) and it does not affect the inner parts of the eye.

Blood tests, X-rays and other tests may be done to establish the cause of the uveitis.