Iritis with inflammatory genesis

This group of iritides is based on infectious diseases. The body’s immune response to the previous infection then leads to inflammation in the iris and uvea area. It is therefore not a direct eye infection.

Rather, the inflammation of the iris is the result of the immune response to germs that are located elsewhere in the body. That is why no germs can be detected there even with smears from the eyes. The infection precedes the iritis with a certain time lag.

The following is an overview of frequently underlying infectious diseases:

Chlamydia: These bacteria are mainly found in the human urogenital tract (the urinary and genital tract) and in Germany are mainly transmitted through sexual intercourse. They can then cause infections of the urogenital tract, the eyes and, as a result of the infections, reactive arthritis. The latter are immune responses of the body that can develop after an infection has taken place.
The iris can also be affected.
Yersinia/Shigella/Campylobacter/Salmonella/Gonococcus and others: Some of these pathogens affect the gastrointestinal tract, others the urogenital tract. What they have in common is that they can cause Reiter’s disease. This is a special form of reactive arthritis, which can also be considered an immunologically caused phenomenon. Typically, Reiter’s disease is characterized by three inflammations.These include urethritis (inflammation of the urinary tract), arthritis (inflammation of the joints) and conjunctivitis or iritis (inflammation of the iris).
Other pathogens: Other pathogens and infections can also cause iritis. These include influenza and herpes viruses, tuberculosis, mononucleosis, Lyme disease, toxoplasma and the like.

Symptoms

When the iris is inflamed, the eyes are reddened, very sensitive to light and can hurt. In addition it comes to a decrease in vision. Clouding of the eye results from an infiltration of the anterior chamber of the eye with inflammatory secretions and pus.

History

The course of iritis can be acute or chronic. Chronic progressions and acute relapses, which occur in the context of an autoimmune disease, are more likely to be accompanied by complications. If the ciliary body is also affected, this is called iridocyclitis.

Iritis can lead to certain complications, which can considerably reduce the quality of life of those affected. These include first of all a clouding of the vitreous body. The transparency of the vitreous body is reduced by infiltrates caused by the inflammation.

This results in a reduction in vision. Furthermore, the inflammation can lead to a change in the angle of the chamber. This hinders the outflow of the so-called aqueous humor in the eye.

As a result, there is an increase in pressure in the eye, which damages the optic nerve. Such damage is then called glaucoma (secondary glaucoma). If left untreated, this can lead to blindness.

The last important complication is a connective tissue adhesion between the iris and the lens. This is also known as synechia. This adhesion can also lead to secondary glaucoma, but also to clouding of the lens (cataract). Clouding of the lens also leads to a reduction in vision.