Can chronic uveitis be cured permanently?
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, UK
Q: My 32 years old sister has been suffering from Chronic Uveitis for the last 17 years. All my life I have seen her taking steroids and Prednisolone eye drops and her face has become like a moon. She has two small kids and sometimes, when inflammation is extreme, she can't even see her kids' faces. Is there no permanent treatment for Chronic Uveitis?
A:Uveitis is some form of immune reaction in the body itself which not only causes inflammation but all sorts of its complications as well.It also keeps recurring and there is no permanent cure for it. Systemic steroids has caused her moon faces. The main thing is to know what has caused it and to treat it accordingly but in 70% of cases we never find the cause in spite of investigations. Steroid sparing (Cytotoxic) drugs will reduce her inflammation as well as dose of her steroid drugs but she needs to discuss it with her eye specialist as they are very powerful.