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Scleritis: general concepts
Author(s) -
PAVESIO C
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2012.2441.x
Subject(s) - scleritis , sclera , medicine , incidence (geometry) , disease , blindness , genetic predisposition , dermatology , ophthalmology , surgery , optometry , pathology , uveitis , physics , optics
Inflammation of the sclera may be a very serious condition, not only because it can produce structural damage to the globe and eventually result in blindness, but also because it may be a manifestation of a life‐threatening systemic disease. It is predominantly a disease of the middle aged and elderly, probably reflecting the age group of the commonly associated systemic diseases. Females are more likely to be affected, and no geographical or racial differences have been detected, either in incidence or prevalence. There is also no evidence of any genetic predisposition. The disease may start in one eye only but becomes bilateral in one third of the patients, the second eye becoming involved from three months to six years after the first. It is typically a very painful condition, but painless scleritis can occur. Clinical features of anterior and posterior scleritis will be discussed.