Term «iridocyclitis ” means inflammation of the iris and ciliary body. Anatomically, the iris and ciliary body are sections of the choroid, so both structures are involved in the inflammatory process in the vast majority of cases. However, with an isolated lesion of the iris and the ciliary body, they speak, respectively, of iritis and cyclitis. The cause of inflammation of the anterior choroid most often remains unknown, but may be caused by some common inflammatory diseases of the body, infection, eye surgery, or trauma.
Iridocyclitis can affect one or both eyes. Sometimes it flows like a chronic relapsing disease.
Signs, symptoms of iridocyclitis
- redness of the eye;
- photophobia;
- pain in the eye;
- pupil constriction;
- lacrimation.
Iridocyclitis is detected by examining the eye with a slit lamp. In addition to the signs above, the doctor detects inflammatory cells in the anterior chamber of the eye as a light opalescent suspension. With a large number of cells, they settle at the bottom of the anterior chamber in the form of a drop of pus. On the posterior plane of the cornea, patchy deposits of protein, called precipitates, are found. In addition, the doctor will definitely check the posterior sections of the eye to exclude their involvement in the inflammatory process.
Anti-inflammatory products of the steroid and non-steroidal series are prescribed both topically in drops and ointments, and in injections and tablets. In addition, drops are used that dilate the pupil to avoid soldering the pupil with the lens, narrow the dilated vessels, and reduce inflammation.