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Anatomy of the Eye

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.The middle layer of the eye is called the uvea or uveal tract.  It is made up of the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid.  The uvea surrounds the eye like a tunic (coat).  The visible part of the uvea, in the front, is the iris.  Inflammation in any of the parts of the uveal tract is called uveitis.  Inflammation inside the eye is a medical emergency because, untreated, it will lead to vision loss. Click here to print a diagram of the eye.

What is Ocular Inflammatory Disease?

Ocular inflammatory disease (OID) is a general term for inflammation affecting any part of the eye or surrounding tissue.  Inflammation involving the eye can range from the familiar allergic conjunctivitis of hay fever to rare, potentially blinding conditions such as uveitis, scleritis, episcleritis, optic neuritis, keratitis, orbital pseudotumor, retinal vasculitis, and chronic conjunctivitis.
Broadly speaking, if inflammation develops in the eye(s), or in the optic nerve, blood vessels, muscles or other tissues that surround the eye, the resulting illness is classified as an ocular inflammatory disease (or OID for short).
The location of the inflammation governs the diagnostic name for the ocular inflammatory disease.  For example, uveitis is inflammation in the uveal tract; scleritis is inflammation of the sclera, pars planitis is inflammation of the pars plana, and so forth.

The Immune System

What is inflammation?
Literally speaking, inflammation means setting on fire.  Inflammation can develop in any part of the body, including the eyes and their surrounding structures.  Inflammation is a characteristic reaction of tissue to injury or disease.  Inflammation results from the body’s attempt to eliminate a foreign body or germ and helps to prevent further injury.
Inflammation is marked by four signs: swelling, redness, heat, and pain.  You have probably observed the signs of inflammation in a cut or burn on your hand.
Inflammation is a complex process involving many different kinds of white blood cells:  granulocytes (neutrophils, basophile, and eosoniphils) and some immune specific white blood cells called B and T lymphocytes along with their antibodies and cytokines. In all inflammatory diseases there is the migration of these specific types of white blood cells out of the bloodstream into surrounding tissues. These cells release agents (chemicals), such as cytokines, to boost immune responses and kill invading bacteria, viruses, and parasites or anything that the immune system perceives as foreign (antigen), or non-self.  Part of their response is bringing antibodies (proteins in the family of immunoglobulins) to the site; the antibodies then attach to antigens and mark them for death.  Antigens are anything that the immune system recognizes as non-self or foreign and, therefore, trigger an immune response.   The linking of the antibody to the antigen forms an immune complex. Immune complexes circulate through the blood.  Usually they are removed quickly, but occasionally they are lodged into tissues and cause inflammation.
Normal healthy tissue can be injured by inflammation during this process (innocent bystander injury).   When this happens in or around the eyes, the affected region (the eyes, the eyelids, the sclera, the iris, the uvea, the retina, the optic nerve) becomes red, sore, and swollen.  This inflammation can be observed by the eye doctor using a slit lamp microscope.  If eye inflammation is long lasting (chronic) or severe, damage to delicate tissues and blood vessels in and around the eye can occur, resulting in vision loss.