Iritis (i-RIE-tis) is inflammation that affects your eye's iris, the colored ring surrounding your pupil. The iris is a part of the middle layer of the eye (uvea), so iritis is a type of uveitis, sometimes called anterior uveitis.
The cause of iritis is often unknown. Sometimes iritis results from an underlying systemic condition or genetic factor.
Iritis is a serious condition that, if left untreated, could lead to glaucoma or vision loss. If you have symptoms of iritis, see your doctor as soon as possible.
Feb. 14, 2014
- Rosenbaum JT. Uveitis: Etiology, clinical manifestations and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Sept. 9, 2013.
- Rosenbaum JT. Uveitis: Treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Sept. 9, 2013.
- Riordan-Eva P, et al. Vaughan & Asbury's General Ophthalmology. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=720. Accessed Sept. 9, 2013.
- Care of the patient with anterior uveitis. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/search?q=iritis&site=AOA_org&client=AOAorg&filter=0&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&output=xml_no_dtd&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&entqr=3&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&searchpage=search. Accessed Sept. 9, 2013.
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