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Medical Author:

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, FACS

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, FACS

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist. Dr. Dahl's educational background includes a BA with Honors and Distinction from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, and an MD from Cornell University, where he was selected for Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. He had an internal medical internship at the New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Scleritis facts
• What is scleritis?
• What is the sclera?
• What causes scleritis?
• What are risk factors for scleritis?
• What are symptoms of scleritis?
• What are signs of scleritis?
• How is scleritis diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for scleritis?
• What are the complications of scleritis?
• What is the prognosis for scleritis?
• Can scleritis be prevented?
• What research is being done on scleritis?
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Scleritis Index

Scleritis is a serious eye disease which must be evaluated, treated, and monitored aggressively to avoid vision loss. Scleritis may be recurrent, but is usually responsive to therapy. It is critical that any underlying disease be diagnosed and treated. Many of the conditions associated with scleritis are serious and may only be diagnosed during the evaluation for the cause of the scleritis. The scleritis itself may respond to treatment, but the underlying disease process may not.

In general, scleritis in association with Wegener's granulomatosis is difficult to treat and may lead to vision loss even with treatment. The scleritis seen with the spondyloarthropathies is usually very responsive to treatment. Scleritis that occurs in the absence of an underlying disease will typically respond well to treatment. When recurrent scleritis symptoms are noticed, urgent treatment can result in optimal outcome.

Scleritis is an inflammation of the white of the eye. It is a serious eye disease which is often associated with underlying autoimmune disorders. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is essential in preventing permanent vision loss. There is no preventive treatment for most cases. Patients with underlying disease processes should be made aware of the possibility of scleritis occurring and should have access to immediate care and careful monitoring by an ophthalmologist.

Current research in scleritis is trying to determine the exact immune abnormalities leading to the disease and is searching for more precise medication to target those portions of the immune system.

REFERENCES:

Akpek, Esen Karamursel, et al. "Evaluation of patients with scleritis for systemic disease." Ophthalmology 111.3 (2004): 501-506.

Johnson, Keegan S. and David S. Chu. "Evaluation of sub-Tenon triamcinolone acetonide injections in the treatment of scleritis." American Journal of Ophthalmology 149.1 (2010): 77–81.

Watson, Peter, et al. Duane's Ophthalmology. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009.

Zamir, Ehud, et al. "A prospective evaluation of subconjunctival injection of triamcinolone acetonide for resistant anterior scleritis." Ophthalmology 109.4 (2002): 798-805.