Uveitis in developing countries

Abstract

Uveitis, also referred to as intraocular inflammation, is a complex inflammatory process, involving primarily the uveal tract, with or without the involvement of adjacent intraocular structures. The underlying cause of the intraocular inflammation may reside in the uveal tract, retina, lens, or other ocular tissues. Uveitis is a leading cause of blindness in both developed and developing countries, including India. Although the inflammation can be due to a variety of causes - infections, systemic diseases, organ-specific autoimmune processes (primarily to T-cell-mediated Th2 and or Th17 processes), trauma, and primary or secondary ocular neoplasm presenting with clinical features of uveitis - the resulting uveal inflammation usually presents with similar symptoms that affect the patient's vision. Most patients with uveitis are diagnosed accurately and the disease is subclassified as granulomatous or nongranulomatous anterior, intermediate, posterior or pan uveitis; but determining the proper underlying etiology can be a challenge. The current issue, containing several articles from leaders in the field of uveitis, provides a clinically valid and prudent approach to determining the underlying causes of uveitis and lays out the current medical and surgical interventions that can be used to preserve vision and prevent blindness.