Iritis - Complications of uveitis

Uveitis can sometimes lead to further problems, especially if the condition is not treated properly.

People with chronic (long-term) uveitis, or the less common types of uveitis affecting the middle or back of the eye (intermediate and posterior uveitis), are most at risk of developing complications.

Complications are also more likely to occur in adults who are over 60 years old.

Some of the more common complications of uveitis are described below.

Glaucoma

Untreated uveitis can cause the iris (the coloured part of the eye) to stick to the front surface of the lens (the transparent structure that focuses the light entering your eye). This prevents fluid draining through the pupil and increases the pressure inside the eye.

The raised pressure inside your eye can damage the optic nerve (the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye that transmits images to the brain) and disrupt your normal vision, such as causing misty vision and rings or halos to appear around lights. This is known as glaucoma.

Treatment options for glaucoma include:

eye drops
laser treatment
surgery

Cataracts

The inflammation inside the eye associated with uveitis can sometimes irritate the lens of the eye, causing cloudy patches on the surface of the lens to develop. The cloudy patches are known as cataracts. They can cause symptoms such as:

blurred vision
problems seeing clearly at night
colours appearing unusually faint

Cataracts are usually treated using surgery to remove the affected lens and replace it with an artificial one.

See cataracts and cataract surgery for more information.

Cystoid macular oedema

Cystoid macular oedema is a complication that can affect some people with chronic uveitis or uveitis that affects the back of the eye.

Prolonged inflammation can result in a build-up of fluid inside the retina. This can disrupt its ability to function normally and lead to a painless loss of central vision. You may notice a black spot in your field of vision.

Cystoid macular oedema can be treated using corticosteroid injections or tablets.

In some cases, a person's vision will recover once treatment is initiated. However, this isn't always the case in severe cases of cystoid macular oedema. This is why the condition is a leading cause of visual impairment in people with uveitis.