{"id":1862,"date":"2026-10-20T08:53:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T08:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/eye-glossary\/uveitis\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:57:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:57:27","slug":"uveitis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laseristanbulclinic.com\/en\/eye-glossary\/uveitis\/","title":{"rendered":"Uveitis: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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  1. Home<\/a><\/li>
  2. Knowledge centre<\/a><\/li>
  3. Eye glossary A\u2013Z<\/a><\/li>
  4. Uveitis: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t

    Uveitis: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Medically reviewed by {{surgeon}}<\/span> \u00b7 {{date}}<\/span><\/strong>, {{surgeon’s title and specialty}}<\/span>. Last updated {{date}}<\/span>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

    \"Illustration<\/figure><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\t\t<\/svg>Definition<\/span>\n\t\t\t

    Uveitis<\/strong> (noun, pronounced yoo-vee-EYE-tis)<\/em>: uveitis is inflammation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye, which holds most of the eye’s blood vessels and includes the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid. It can affect one or both eyes, can start suddenly or build slowly, and untreated it can permanently damage vision. Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer, who leads uveitis care at Laser Istanbul Clinic, treats it; most cases settle with prompt treatment from an eye specialist.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Uveitis: key facts<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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    <\/svg>What it is<\/span><\/dt>
    Inflammation of the uvea (iris, ciliary body, choroid), the middle layer of the eye<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Other names<\/span><\/dt>
    Anterior uveitis is also called iritis (the NHS uses “iritis” as another name for uveitis)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Main types<\/span><\/dt>
    Anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis, named by where the inflammation sits<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>How common<\/span><\/dt>
    Rare: about 2\u20135 people in every 10,000 each year in the UK (Moorfields)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Most common type<\/span><\/dt>
    Anterior uveitis, about 75% of adult cases (Moorfields)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Typical age<\/span><\/dt>
    Mostly adults aged about 20\u201360 (NEI, Moorfields)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Cause found?<\/span><\/dt>
    Not in many people: roughly 40% of cases have no identified cause (Moorfields)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Main risks if untreated<\/span><\/dt>
    Cataract, glaucoma, swelling at the centre of the retina, permanent vision loss<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    <\/svg>Specialist<\/span><\/dt>
    Ophthalmologist; at Laser Istanbul Clinic, Do\u00e7. Dr. Muhammet Derda \u00d6zer (Associate Professor)<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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    \"Illustration<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t
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    What is uveitis? The uvea explained<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The uvea is the eye’s middle coat, sitting between the white outer wall (the sclera) and the light-sensing retina at the back. It has three parts: the iris<\/strong> (the coloured ring that controls the pupil), the ciliary body<\/strong> (which makes the fluid inside the front of the eye and helps the lens focus) and the choroid<\/strong> (the blood-vessel layer that feeds the outer retina). Because the uvea is so rich in blood vessels, inflammation there can spread to nearby structures, including the lens, the vitreous gel, the retina and the optic nerve.<\/p>\n

    Uveitis is not one disease but a group of inflammatory conditions. It may be acute<\/strong> (starting suddenly and lasting weeks), recurrent<\/strong> (coming back after quiet periods) or chronic<\/strong> (lasting more than about three months, according to Moorfields). It can be non-infectious<\/strong>, most often an immune-system problem, or infectious<\/strong>. Eye specialists worldwide describe it using the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) system, first published in 2005, which classifies uveitis by where in the eye the inflammation is found and grades it by counting inflammatory cells in the front chamber of the eye and by how hazy the vitreous gel looks.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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    Types of uveitis: anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis<\/h2>\n\t\t\t

    The SUN system names four types. The type tells your doctor which structures are involved and which causes and treatments are most likely.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

    Type<\/th>Where the inflammation is<\/th>Typical symptoms<\/th>Typical course<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Anterior uveitis (iritis)<\/strong><\/th>The front of the eye: the iris, sometimes the ciliary body<\/td>Aching, painful red eye; light sensitivity; blurred vision; sometimes a small or oddly shaped pupil; headache<\/td>Often sudden, lasting weeks; some people have repeat attacks or a chronic form<\/td><\/tr>
    Intermediate uveitis<\/strong><\/th>The middle of the eye: the vitreous gel and the ciliary body<\/td>Floaters; blurred vision; often little redness or pain<\/td>Weeks to years, often cycling between better and worse<\/td><\/tr>
    Posterior uveitis<\/strong><\/th>The back of the eye: the choroid and retina<\/td>Reduced vision and floaters, often without pain<\/td>Usually gradual onset and can last years; sometimes complicated by a retinal detachment<\/td><\/tr>
    Panuveitis<\/strong><\/th>All layers, front to back<\/td>Any of the above, often more severe<\/td>Needs specialist care<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

    Sources: AAO, NEI, Moorfields.<\/p>

    Anterior uveitis is by far the most common type.<\/strong> Moorfields reports that about 75% of adult cases are anterior. In a 2025 single-centre study of 91 people with uveitis referred to a rheumatology clinic in Ankara, 81.3% had anterior uveitis and 14.3% had intermediate uveitis. That figure comes from a referral clinic, so it shows the pattern rather than the national rate.<\/p>\n

    Scleritis is a different condition.<\/strong> Inflammation of the sclera (the white wall of the eye) causes a very red eye and intense pain that can even prevent sleep (Moorfields). It is sometimes confused with uveitis, and an eye specialist can tell them apart.<\/p><\/div>\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

    Uveitis symptoms: what does uveitis feel like?<\/h2><\/div>

    Uveitis symptoms depend on the type, and they can come on over hours and days or build over weeks and months. The NHS also notes that some people have no symptoms at all, so the condition is sometimes found on a routine eye test. Typical symptoms are:<\/p>\n