Guest post by Sanjay Kedhar, MD, An Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and the Co-Director of the Uveitis and Ocular Immunology Program at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Dr. Kedhar specializes in the medical and surgical management of patients with uveitis and other autoimmune and infectious eye diseases. He performs cataract and pharmacological implant surgeries in these patients and also participates in numerous research projects on the outcomes of these disease treatments. Dr. Kedhar is also an expert in cornea, and external disease.

Uveitis is a general term that describes a group of inflammatory diseases that affect the middle layers of the eye. These diseases can lead to reduced vision or severe vision loss. The condition may be caused by a variety of issues, including an attack from the body’s own immune system (autoimmunity), infections, or tumors occurring within the eye or in other parts of the body.

Uveitis is the third leading cause of blindness in America; and five to 10 percent of patients affected are children under the age of 16. Annually, there are approximately 115,000 ongoing cases of pediatric uveitis in the United States, with 2,250 new cases occurring each year. Unfortunately, research shows that children are more likely than adults to suffer blindness as a result of the disease.

Symptoms of Uveitis can include:

• Blurred vision
• Dark, floating spots in the vision (floaters)
• Eye pain
• Redness of the eye
• Sensitivity to light (photophobia)

In pediatric patients, the symptoms of uveitis may overlap with a number of other conditions, making it difficult to diagnose accurately. Children may also be unable to describe their symptoms or be unwilling to undergo a thorough eye exam to detect the underlying inflammation. These issues can lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment, which may result in more severe damage to the eye and long-term visual impairment.

All of these factors make it critical to help better educate not only practicing ophthalmologists, but also pediatricians and pediatric rheumatologists in the signs and symptoms most important in diagnosing uveitis in children.

To better educate clinicians and families, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) is working with the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation to hold a symposium on childhood uveitis. The program, which takes place on November 7, 2015, is designed to provide information on the latest techniques in treatment and diagnosis for this disease. Learn more about the conference and how to participate.