What is Chorioretinitis?
Chorioretinitis is an ophthalmological condition characterized by a group of disorders affecting the uvea and the choroid of the eye. The choroid and the uvea form the middle layer of the eye and have in them majority of the blood vessels of the eye. When this area gets inflamed due to any reason then it results in Chorioretinitis.
This inflammation may be serious enough to completely damage or destroy tissues of the eye resulting in significant visual impairment. Chorioretinitis can affect people of all ages but is mostly seen in people between the age group of 25 and 60. Chorioretinitis is mostly seen in people with HIV or with tumors or other infections in the eye. An injury to the eye may also cause Chorioretinitis.
Certain viral infections like the West Nile Virus may also cause Chorioretinitis. Certain medical conditions like multiple sclerosis, Kawasaki Disease, or rheumatoid arthritis also tends to cause Chorioretinitis. Apart from visual impairment, Chorioretinitis can also cause eye pain, sensitivity to light, and excessive tearing. The best way to treat Chorioretinitis is by way of steroids. If a bacterial infection is a suspect then antibiotics is the way to go in treating Chorioretinitis.
What Causes Chorioretinitis?
Some of the causes of Chorioretinitis are
- People with HIV/AIDS tend to get Chorioretinitis more than others
- Infections or tumors within the eye
- Injury to the eye
- Bacterial or viral infections of the eye.
Some of the other medical conditions that can cause Chorioretinitis are:
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Herpes Zoster
- Kawasaki disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Tuberculosis
- Ulcerative colitis
What are the Symptoms of Chorioretinitis?
Chorioretinitis may affect one or both eyes and the symptom onset of this condition is quite sudden. The individual may be having Chorioretinitis for many years but will tend to have symptoms out of the blue after many years. Some of the symptoms of Chorioretinitis are:
- Eye Pain
- Persistent redness in the eye
- Blurred vision
- Floating spots in the vision
- Light sensitivity
- Excessive watering of the eye
The above mentioned symptoms do not classify that the individual may have Chorioretinitis but if an individual has these symptoms then it is recommended to consult with an ophthalmologist to identify a cause and formulate a treatment plan and also to rule in or rule out Chorioretinitis.
How is Chorioretinitis Treated?
The most preferred treatment for Chorioretinitis is steroids. This is usually given in the form of antiinflammatory steroid eyedrops to calm down the inflammation. In some cases, oral steroids or injectable steroid are also given for treatment of Chorioretinitis. In case of an infection causing Chorioretinitis, then appropriate antibiotics and anti-virals will be given to treat this condition.
Additionally, the ophthalmologist will also try to identify a cause for the inflammation and formulate a treatment plan to eliminate the cause leading to development of Chorioretinitis. Despite all these treatments that are available, the best way to treat Chorioretinitis is by taking preventive measures and going for regular eye checkups and reporting any symptoms that an individual may have to the ophthalmologist for best treatment for Chorioretinitis.
- Zarranz-Ventura, J., & Sim, D. A. (2013). Chorioretinitis: Causes, symptoms and management. In Retinal Disorders (pp. 127-144). Springer.
- Oray, M., Meese, H., Foster, C. S., & Brezin, A. P. (2016). Diagnosis and management of noninfectious immune-mediated retinopathy. Eye, 30(5), 621-627.
- Rathinam, S. R., Cunningham Jr, E. T., & Tugal-Tutkun, I. (2013). Emerging infections and uveitis. International Ophthalmology Clinics, 53(3), 185-204.
