Episcleritis and scleritis usually present as a localised area of inflammation. The episclera lies just beneath the conjunctiva and adjacent to the tough white scleral coat of the eye. Both the sclera and episclera may become inflamed, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, but no cause is found for most cases of episcleritis.
The patient complains of a red and sore eye that may also be tender. There may be reflex lacrimation but usually there is no discharge. Scleritis is much more painful than episcleritis. The pain of scleritis often is sufficiently severe to wake the patient at night.
There is a localised area of inflammation that is tender to the touch. The episcleral and scleral vessels are larger than the conjunctival vessels. The signs of inflammation are usually more florid in scleritis.
Any underlying cause should be identified. Episcleritis is essentially self limiting, but steroid eye drops hasten recovery and provide symptomatic relief. Scleritis is much more serious, and all patients need ophthalmological review. Serious systemic disorders need to be excluded, and
systemic immunosuppressive treatment may be required.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Eyes, Episcleritis and Scleritis
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Thursday, April 29, 2010
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2 comments:
Very nice post, thanks for sharing the information. Keep up the good work.
scleritis
Hi there! great stuff here, I'm glad that I drop by your page and found this very interesting. Thanks for posting. Hoping to read something like this in the future! Keep it up!
Scleritis may occur as a result of various stimuli, the most famous of which is rheumatoid arthritis. But many of the so called connective tissue diseases or collagen vascular diseases may have scleritis as part of their disease spectrum. Indeed, inflammation of the sclera can sometimes be a presenting manifestation of a potentially very serious systemic disease. Sometimes inflammation in the eye will precede extraocular (outside the eye) manifestations of a serious systemic disease by many months or even a few years. This is but one of the many reasons why it is so critical for patients to regularly visit with a physician trained in ophthalmology: an ophthalmologist.
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