Eye Dictionary: U
U
ultrasound. This is the technology where sound waves are bounced off internal organs in order to examine human anatomy. Ultrasound is classically used in the examination of pregnant women, but the technology has some utility in ophthalmology as well. We use ultrasound to measure the length of the eyeball prior to cataract surgery. This measurement is called an A-scan ultrasound. Ultrasound is also useful for examining the eye in cases of vitreous hemorrhage - this is bleeding inside the eye that would otherwise block our view of the retina. We also use ultrasound to examine someone with an extremely dense cataract when our view is blocked by the cloudy lens. The ultrasound technology allows us to check for retinal detachments and other problems inside the eye before we subject someone to eye surgery.
uvea. The uvea is an anatomical term used to describe three embryologically related structures in the eye: the iris, ciliary body, and the choroid. The iris is the colored part of the eye and serves as a muscle to control the size of your pupil. The ciliary body is a ring of muscle that sits behind the iris. The ciliary muscle changes the shape of the flexible lens and allows fine visual focusing. The choroid sits under the retina in the back of the eye. The choroid is a bed of blood vessels sitting under the retina that provides oxygen and nourishment to the photoreceptors. The term "uvea" is an anatomical description and is mainly useful in describing the condition uveitis. Uveitis is an inflammation of the uvea structures, and can involve inflammation of the iris, ciliary body, and/or
choroid.
uveitis. This is an inflammation inside the eye that involves either the structures in the front of the eye (the iris and ciliary body) or the choroid in the back of the eye. Most people with uveitis have inflammation of the iris (the colored part of the eye). This is called iritis. When the iris is inflamed, it tends to hurt and spasm when subjected to bright lights. This pain is called photophobia. We can detect uveitis when looking inside the eye because we can actually see individual inflammatory cells (white blood cells and macrophages) floating around in the anterior chamber of the eye. The number of these cells visible correlates with the severity of inflammation. If the inflammation is bad enough, the pupil can become irregularly shaped from iris synechiae formation. There are many causes for an episode of uveitis, though at least half of them occur idiopathically with no known cause. Inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoidosis may cause uveitis. People who have HLA-B27 positive conditions like ankylosing spondylitis and inflammatory bowel disease are also prone to uveitis. Viral infections from zoster (shingles) can cause uveitis, especially with repeat outbreaks. Rare infections such as Lyme disease, syphilis, and tuberculosis can all cause uveitis as well (though we seldom see these infections in this area). Treatment is primarily with steroid eye drops (to cool down the inflammation) and a dilating cycloplegia drop (for pain control and to avoid synechiae formation). The first time a person has uveitis, no further workup is usually indicated. However, recurrent or severe bouts may instigate additional testing and consultation with a rheumatologist to look for underlying proinflammatory conditions.
(uv, uve, uvetis)
uvea. The uvea is an anatomical term used to describe three embryologically related structures in the eye: the iris, ciliary body, and the choroid. The iris is the colored part of the eye and serves as a muscle to control the size of your pupil. The ciliary body is a ring of muscle that sits behind the iris. The ciliary muscle changes the shape of the flexible lens and allows fine visual focusing. The choroid sits under the retina in the back of the eye. The choroid is a bed of blood vessels sitting under the retina that provides oxygen and nourishment to the photoreceptors. The term "uvea" is an anatomical description and is mainly useful in describing the condition uveitis. Uveitis is an inflammation of the uvea structures, and can involve inflammation of the iris, ciliary body, and/or
choroid.
uveitis. This is an inflammation inside the eye that involves either the structures in the front of the eye (the iris and ciliary body) or the choroid in the back of the eye. Most people with uveitis have inflammation of the iris (the colored part of the eye). This is called iritis. When the iris is inflamed, it tends to hurt and spasm when subjected to bright lights. This pain is called photophobia. We can detect uveitis when looking inside the eye because we can actually see individual inflammatory cells (white blood cells and macrophages) floating around in the anterior chamber of the eye. The number of these cells visible correlates with the severity of inflammation. If the inflammation is bad enough, the pupil can become irregularly shaped from iris synechiae formation. There are many causes for an episode of uveitis, though at least half of them occur idiopathically with no known cause. Inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoidosis may cause uveitis. People who have HLA-B27 positive conditions like ankylosing spondylitis and inflammatory bowel disease are also prone to uveitis. Viral infections from zoster (shingles) can cause uveitis, especially with repeat outbreaks. Rare infections such as Lyme disease, syphilis, and tuberculosis can all cause uveitis as well (though we seldom see these infections in this area). Treatment is primarily with steroid eye drops (to cool down the inflammation) and a dilating cycloplegia drop (for pain control and to avoid synechiae formation). The first time a person has uveitis, no further workup is usually indicated. However, recurrent or severe bouts may instigate additional testing and consultation with a rheumatologist to look for underlying proinflammatory conditions.
(uv, uve, uvetis)