Autoimmune Uveitis
6 years of industry leadership
Autoimmune uveitis is the autoimmune inflammation of the eye’s uvea.
Disease Overview
The uvea is the portion of the eye that lies between the outermost and innermost layers of the eye.Autoimmune uveitis is presented in conjunction with other autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosis), as well as those autoimmune conditions that specifically target the eye (e.g., Mooren’s corneal ulcer, cicatricial pemphigoid, uveitis).
Incidence
- Third leading cause of blindness in the world
- Worldwide prevalence of uveitis is estimated at 2.4 million
- 5%-10% of uveitis cases occur in children less than 16 yrs
- Mean age of onset is 37.2 yrs; age range is 20 to 50 yrs
- In U.S. eye clinics 2.3 million patients have ocular inflammatory disease
Symptoms
- Hazy vision
- Vision disturbance
- Anterior uveitis produces moderate to severe unilateral eye pain
- Keratic precipitates (floaters)
- Posterior synechiae and pupillary distortion
Current Treatment
- Immunosuppressive therapy is necessary as early as possible in disease course using glucocorticoids with plasma exchange for glucocorticoid failures
