Scleritis

Photo from: University of Utah Moran CORE

Scleritis is an inflammatory eye disease often seen in people 47-60 years old, which can lead to vision loss or damage if left untreated. (1) Scleritis is the inflammation of the sclera, also known as the white of your eye, a thin protective tissue that wraps from the cornea in the front of your eye, all the way to the optic nerve in the back. (2) There are three types of scleritis - diffuse, nodular, and necrotizing - and these can be seen in either anterior scleritis or posterior scleritis. Anterior scleritis refers to the inflammation of the front of your scler,a and posterior scleritis, seen in only about 10% of cases, refers to inflammation in the back of your sclera. The most commonly seen type is diffuse scleritis, which is scattered across your sclera, whereas nodular scleritis is concentrated in one area. About 4% of cases of scleritis are necrotizing, which is the most damaging, creating holes in the eye tissue, sometimes causing the loss of the entire eye. (1)

Scleritis can be caused by autoimmune conditions or by infection, affecting females more often than males because of the increased rate of autoimmune diseases in women. (1, 3) Scleritis can be seen in reddening and swelling of the eye, eye pain or pain in other areas of the face, sensitivity to light, and eye watering. If you suspect you have scleritis, your healthcare provider can diagnose it using a slit lamp exam, a CT scan, an ultrasound, or sending a sample of eye discharge to a lab. If you have a mild case, you may be prescribed a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, but in most cases, a doctor will prescribe a systemic corticosteroid. The best way to prevent contracting scleritis is to protect your eyes and make sure that your hands are clean when you touch them, and that your contact lenses are clean. (1)

Written by: Hazel Cameron

1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24975-scleritis

2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22088-sclera

3. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/02/women autoimmune.html#:~:text=As%20many%20as%204%20out,syndrome%2C%20it's%2019%20to%201.