Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Sep;68(9):1764-1773.
doi: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_928_20.

Viral anterior uveitis

Affiliations
Review

Viral anterior uveitis

Kalpana Babu et al. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

Viral anterior uveitis (VAU) needs to be suspected in anterior uveitis (AU) associated with elevated intraocular pressure, corneal involvement, and iris atrophic changes. Common etiologies of VAU include herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, cytomegalovirus, and rubella virus. Clinical presentations can vary from granulomatous AU with corneal involvement, Posner-Schlossman syndrome, Fuchs uveitis syndrome, and endothelitis. Due to overlapping clinical manifestations between the different viruses, diagnostic tests like polymerase chain reaction and Goldmann-Witmer coefficient analysis on the aqueous humor may help in identifying etiology to plan and monitor treatment.

Keywords: Cytomegalovirus; herpes simplex virus; ocular hypertension; rubella virus; varicella-zoster virus; viral anterior uveitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Slit-lamp photograph of HSV AU showing granulomatous keratic precipitates adjacent to the inflamed cornea (a), iridoparesis (b) and diffuse iris stromal atrophy (c)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Slit-lamp photograph of VZV AU showing pigmented active keratic precipitates and D shaped pupil at initial presentation (a) and development of sectoral iris atrophy in the same eye over 6 months (b). External photograph showing facial scars of herpes zoster ophthalmicus scars over the left side of the forehead and nose (c)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Slit-lamp photograph of CMV AU in diffuse illumination showing a couple of granulomatous keratic precipitates in the center of the steamy cornea in an eye presenting acutely with elevated intraocular pressure typical of CMV associated Posner Schlossman syndrome (a) and diffusely distributed fine filiform keratic precipitates typical of Fuchs uveitis syndrome admixed with scattered pigmented, medium-sized keratic precipitates in an eye with cytomegalovirus chronic anterior uveitis (b)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Slit-lamp photograph of the right eye in a case of Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis syndrome showing fine to medium-sized keratic precipitates on the corneal endothelium and moth-eaten appearance of iris

Comment in

References

    1. Groen-Hakan F, Babu K, Tugal-Tutkun I, Pathanapithoon K, de Boer JH, Smith JR, et al. Challenges of diagnosing viral anterior uveitis. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2017;25:710–20. - PubMed
    1. Cunningham ET., Jr The expanding spectrum of viral anterior uveitis. Ophthalmology. 2011;118:1903–4. - PubMed
    1. Jap A, Chee S-P. Viral anterior uveitis. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2011;22:483–8. - PubMed
    1. Chan NS, Chee S-P. Demystifying viral anterior uveitis: A review. Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2019;47:320–33. - PubMed
    1. Relvas LJ, Caspers L, Chee S-P, Zierhut M, Willermain F. Differential diagnosis of viral-induced anterior uveitis. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2018;26:726–31. - PubMed