Ocular immunology is a subspecialty of ophthalmology which focuses on the studies of inflammatory eye diseases that are caused by autoimmune diseases. These diseases occur when the immune system "attacks" the tissues and organs it is supposed to protect against infectious organisms.
Inflammatory eye diseases and uveitis are not the same, although they are informally used interchangeably. Inflammatory eye diseases are a group of various diseases that cause
inflammation in different parts of the eye, such as the cornea or sclera. These conditions have a wide variety of causes (etiologies). That is, they are not only caused by autoimmune diseases. This group contains diseases such as: scleritis, episcleritis, keratitis, ocular pemphigoid, orbital inflammation and uveitis. The latter is the most prevalent ocular inflammatory disease and, just like the ones mentioned, can be caused by different reasons. However, all diseases that provoke uveitis, regardless of their cause, have one thing in common: inflammation of the uvea.
Uveitis is a type of inflammatory eye disease. It is a term that refers to the inflammation of the middle layer of the eye called "uvea". Because this layer is made of many blood vessels, its proper function is essential for the other layers and structures of the eye. For this reason its inflammation may also affect the other ocular structures and layers. Uveitis patients often also present inflammation in other ocular structures and vice versa: any inflammatory eye disease can also affect the uvea. For this reason, "uveitis" is a term used to informally refer to any type of intraocular inflammation; since inflammation in the uvea may extend to other parts of the eye, such as the sclera or retina.
It is extremely important that people who have been diagnosed with ocular inflammation or uveitis are evaluated by an ophthalmologist who is a subspecialist in this field as soon as possible. The management of ocular inflammation is comprehensive and requires physicians who have received specialized training to manage these cases. A uveitis subspecialist focuses on the study of diseases affecting the uvea, regardless of their cause (etiology). An ocular immunology subspecialist focuses on the study of ocular inflammatory diseases that affect all parts of the eye, but are caused by autoimmune diseases. Now, most ophthalmologists subspecializing in inflammatory eye diseases receive training in ocular immunology and uveitis.
The amount of subspecialists in ocular immunology and uveitis is scarce. As a result, many patients are forced to travel long distances in order to be evaluated by a subspecialist. Because many people, including ophthalmologists, are unaware of this subspecialty, many patients receive a delayed referral, long after vital time has passed. Eye inflammation that is not managed quickly can develop into serious problems. Therefore, if you experience symptoms of ocular inflammation or uveitis, it is extremely important that you be seen by a subspecialist in this discipline of ophthalmology.
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