Autoimmune Uveitis

Autoimmune uveitis affects the uvea, the middle layer of the eye that includes the iris and the tissue feeding the retina. Current understanding describes immune cells, including T-cells, breaking through the eye's normally protective blood-ocular barrier and mounting a local inflammatory response against eye tissue, sometimes in a recurring or remitting pattern. It can occur on its own or alongside a systemic autoimmune or inflammatory disease, and certain patterns link to specific conditions: uveitis at the front of the eye is associated with the HLA-B27 gene and conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis, and uveitis at the back of the eye is more associated with Behcet's disease.

Research describes spondyloarthritis, Behcet's disease, and sarcoidosis as having the largest impact on how common uveitis is overall, though a precise population-wide prevalence figure specific to the autoimmune forms is not well established. Because it can threaten vision, prompt care from an eye specialist is important.

Common signs

Eye redness, eye pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, floating spots in the field of vision, and reduced vision.

This is a plain-language summary for orientation, not a diagnosis. Mechanisms are described as current understanding, not settled fact. Work with your own clinician for your care.