Ophthalmologist talks about eye diseases: Can “grapes” grow in the eyes?

Everyone is familiar with grapes, but you may not know that there is an important structure in our eyes, which is named after its grape shape - the uvea.

01. What is the uveal tract?

The uvea, also called the uveal layer, is the middle pigmented layer that makes up the concentric layers of the eye. The uvea has three main components: the iris, ciliary body, and choroid.

The iris is an important part of the uvea, which is the only part of the eye that provides color. If the iris is brown, a person's eyes are considered brown. If the lens in the eye is equivalent to the lens of a camera and the retina is the film, then the uvea is equivalent to the darkroom. The iris expands and contracts around the pupil to control the light entering the eye.

02. What are the risks of uveal tract diseases?

The characteristic of the uvea is that it is particularly rich in blood vessels, and the function of its choroid is mainly to provide nutrition to the retina. Due to its relatively rich blood supply, it is particularly prone to inflammatory reactions, and this inflammatory reaction is often related to immunity.

Uveitis is a common eye disease and a blinding eye disease. Common symptoms of uveitis include eye pain, swelling, redness, blurred vision, or floating objects in the vision that make it difficult to see clearly. If not treated promptly, it can lead to serious vision loss or blindness.

03. What is the cause of the disease?

The cause of uveitis involves many factors, but it is often related to autoimmunity. If the autoimmune system is disordered, or if you suffer from immune diseases such as arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, etc., uveitis may occur. Other factors include infection, eye trauma, exposure to toxins, etc.

Feng Chao, PhD, associate chief physician, master's supervisor, standing committee member of the Public Health Ophthalmology Branch of the Hubei Provincial Preventive Medicine Association, and deputy director of the Fundus Department of the Wuhan University Aier Eye Hospital, said that uveitis generally becomes chronic and recurs. After a period of time, the blood supply to the retina will be damaged and patients can develop more serious vision problems.