Uveitis in cats: causes, signs and treatment methods. Features of clinical manifestations of uveitis of viral etiology in cats

Uveitis in cats (iritis, iridocyclitis) is an ophthalmological disease in which the inflammatory process affects the uveal tract of the eye or the choroid. Located between the fibrous membrane of the eyeball and the retina.

Anatomically, the choroid consists of the choroid, iris and ciliary body. Inflammation can be localized in any part of the uveal tract. Uveitis is diagnosed in cats of any breed, age, and gender.

Causes

The development of iridocyclitis is promoted by various exo- and endogenous factors. Among the main causes of intraocular inflammation are:

• bruises, blunt, penetrating injuries, eye wounds;
• perforation, corneal pathologies;
• viral, bacterial, fungal infections;
• protozoal diseases;
• primary, secondary diseases eye (chronic conjunctivitis);
• pathology of the lens;
• corneal ulcers;
• autoimmune diseases;
• neoplasms in the eye.

The disease often occurs against the background of herpes viral infection, candidiasis, blastomycosis, chlamydia, cryptococosis, mycoplasmosis, leptospirosis, rhinotracheitis, some oncological diseases(adenoma, adenocarinoma, melanoma).

Types of uveitis and symptoms

The inflammatory process, as already noted, can affect any part choroid eyes. Depending on the location of inflammation, uveitis is classified into:

• Anterior iridocycle t. The iris and ciliary body become inflamed.
• Posterior (choroiditis). Inflammation of the choroid.
• Panuveitis. With this pathology, all three membranes of the affected eye become inflamed.

With anterior uveitis, the appearance of a pink corolla around the cornea is noted. Its color may change. If a cat is diagnosed with chorioditis, during an ophthalmological examination at the bottom of the eyeball, ulcers and foci with symptoms of edema and hyperemia are revealed in the retina.

Other symptoms worth noting include:

• lacrimation, discharge from the eyes;
• blepharospasm, photophobia;
• sluggish reaction of the pupil to light;
• eye pain;
• adhesions on the iris;
• decreased overall activity;
• redness of the sclera;
• blood clots in the anterior chamber of the eye;
• swelling of the eyelids;
• retinal clouding;
• change in the shape, size of the pupil, miosis (constriction of the pupil);
• iris adhesion;
• promotion intraocular pressure.

Moreover, regardless of the form of eye disease, uveitis in cats, if not started adequate treatment, leads to a decrease visual function. If iridocyclitis becomes advanced, chronic form, partial possible, total loss vision.

Diagnosis and treatment

To determine the source of inflammation in the eye, the veterinarian prescribes a number of diagnostic ophthalmological tests. If necessary, carried out differential diagnosis, anamnesis data and clinical manifestations are taken into account. It is very important to establish the root cause of the eye disease. The further choice of therapeutic techniques depends on this.

Important! In order not to provoke serious complications, do not self-medicate. Treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian-ophthalmologist. Therapy is selected individually and depends on the cause eye disease, location of inflammation, age of animals.

With anterior iritis on early stages eye disease good results noted during local treatment. If posterior iritis is diagnosed, furry pets prescribe medications for general and local treatment. It is very important to minimize the risk of developing secondary complications, stop symptoms in a timely manner, and prevent a decrease in visual function.

To normalize intraocular pressure, corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. If there are no ulcers or ulcers on the cornea, intraocular injections are used in treatment. Prednisolone and Dexamethasone are used.

To relieve spasms of the ciliary body and eye pain, the veterinarian prescribes cycloplegic drugs (mediatics). The frequency of use of medications, in particular atropine, depends on the severity of the pathological process in the affected eye.

Treatment is carried out until full recovery pet After therapy, you need to undergo a re-examination, since the disease can relapse.

If treatment was carried out in the early stages, the prognosis is generally favorable. In case of pauveitis – cautious.

Having noticed the first signs of eye diseases, consult with a veterinarian regarding treatment, and take your pet to a veterinary clinic for an examination.

The disease occurs as a consequence of injuries, viral, bacterial or toxoplasma infections, systemic fungal diseases, ascariasis, severe intoxication or metabolic disorders. IN severe cases Iridocyclitis can lead to blindness.

Symptoms of the disease

Lacrimation, photophobia, yellowness of the iris, constricted pupil that reacts poorly to light, mucopurulent discharge from the inner corner of the eye.

Diagnosis of the disease

To diagnose conjunctivitis, the following methods are used: - analysis clinical picture disease - conjunctival smear (determination of the pathogen and its sensitivity to drugs)

Treatment of the disease

Before contacting the veterinarian, move the cat to a darkened room and keep it calm. Instill eye drops with atropine, eye drops "Iris", which have a pronounced bactericidal effect against most gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (including Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in lesions of the conjunctiva, cornea and deep endocular structures. Iris drops are instilled into the conjunctival sac, 1-3 drops, depending on body weight. Gamavit intramuscularly. The main treatment, depending on the severity of the disease, is prescribed by the doctor. In order to prevent the development of posterior synechia and create rest for the iris and ciliary body, use a 1% solution of atropine 4-6 times a day, GLP with atropine or complex GLP with dicaine, sulfapyridazine and atropine once a day. For purulent iritis, a good effect is obtained from subconjunctival administration of a mixture consisting of 0.5 ml once every 3-4 days. 0.5% solution of novocaine, 0.1 ml. 1% atropine solution, 0.1 ml. hydrocortisone or prednisolone, 20-25 thousand units. antibiotic. Application eye ointments with antibiotics in combination with novocaine blockade of the cranial cervical sympathetic ganglion or with retro bulbar blockade gives a good effect. At chronic course For iridocyclitis, the use of tissue preparations is indicated.

Uveitis in cats and dogs is diagnosed when there is inflammation of the uvea of ​​the eye. In fact, this disease involves a number of phenomena that occur in the choroid and affect the structure of the eye. If veterinarian said that your pet has uveitis, this means that in some area vascular system the inflammatory process began.

Uveitis is classified depending on which parts of the ocular apparatus are affected.

There are 3 main varieties:

1. Front. Damage occurs to the iris and ciliary body. Sometimes doctors also call it iridocyclitis.
2. Rear. The disorder is diagnosed in the choroid. More often this type The disease occurs in cats.
3. Panuveitis. It is usually diagnosed when the disease has progressed greatly. In this case, inflammation affects the entire choroid.

What causes the pathology?

There are many reasons that can affect the development of uveitis, including the development of concomitant diseases. Often other disorders in the body become the main provoking factor. In addition, influence the violation in eye apparatus can:

• autoimmune diseases;
• infection in the body;
• serious injury;
• idiopathic causes.

Autoimmune disorders affect the eyes when the body has been seriously attacked by bacteria, viruses or other foreign microorganisms. Uveitis is diagnosed when inflammation occurs as a result of the immune system attacking its own cells.

The appearance of uveitis as a result of injury is also quite common. Especially if there was a penetrating wound or ulcer of the cornea. In a cat, inflammation can begin even from mechanical damage eyes with a blunt object, dogs are more stable in this regard, but a lot depends on the breed.

If the doctor says that the causes of uveitis are idiopathic, then no specific pathologies have been found. This does not mean that the specialist did his job poorly, since in 75% of cases the exact cause can be identified pathological change fails.

According to statistics, dogs suffer much more from infections, immune diseases and metabolic disorders. German Shepherds especially often exposed to fungi. They may suffer from candidiasis, pecilomycosis and aspergillosis.

Cats often develop metastases in the eyes and other tissues. But the most common cause is the active proliferation of bacteria, fungi or viruses.

Symptoms

You can see what uveitis looks like in the photos presented in our article.

Symptoms of this disease are obvious and fairly easy to recognize by pet owners who are attentive to their health.

On initial stages The development of uveitis in a pet will show the following signs:

1. Redness of one or both eyes. Clouding of the cornea and swelling may also occur.
2. Pain and discomfort. You can tell that an animal is not feeling well by the fact that it will constantly rub its eyes with its paw and behave restlessly. On the background of this characteristic strabismus may develop.
3. There will be a decrease in visual acuity. In an advanced situation, complete loss of vision is possible, so you should not delay contacting a doctor. In this case, a cat or dog may begin to crash into walls, bump into objects, etc.
4. Poor appetite and weight loss. Against the background of general malaise and health problems, the animal will refuse to eat or absorb much less food than before. After that a pet will begin to lose weight, which will lead to exhaustion of the body.
5. Appearance blood clots. Sometimes uveitis in dogs and cats is accompanied by the appearance of blood clots. The area of ​​hemorrhage directly depends on the condition of the animal. However, in any case this symptom is dangerous and requires immediate consultation with a veterinarian.

As you can see, these signs will be quite easy to detect, but trying to make a diagnosis yourself and starting treatment is still not worth it. The fact is that this pathology It has similar symptoms with conjunctivitis, glaucoma, scleritis and any other disease during which a disorder occurs in the scleral or conjunctival vessels.

Establishing diagnosis

Only a veterinary clinic doctor can confirm that a cat or dog has uveitis. Representatives of the cat family have a more difficult time making a diagnosis, while dogs have virtually no problems with this.

First, an eye examination occurs, during which the cornea is stained special composition, which allows you to more accurately determine intraocular pressure. In order to identify the causes of the violation, general examination animal, a blood and urine test is taken. IN extreme cases Laboratory tests are also performed to rule out a number of violations.

Then it executes ultrasonography, during which it becomes clear primary disease. In addition, a study may be required to make a diagnosis. vitreous And intraocular fluid. These methods are used to identify pathogenic bacteria and sensitivity to various agents.

Therapy

To avoid complications of uveitis, treatment in cats, as in dogs, should begin as soon as possible.

After confirming the diagnosis and determining possible reasons the doctor will be able to prescribe adequate therapy. It will help prevent scarring, glaucoma and blindness.

Medicines used by a specialist can be prescribed both to eliminate the causes and to suppress local inflammation. To stop the inflammatory process from progressing, corticosteroids are usually used. Depending on the condition of the animal, injections, eye drops or oral medications are prescribed. The selection of medications largely depends on where exactly the uveitis is localized.

Injections and oral medications used to detect panuveitis or posterior uveitis. Drops should not be used on dogs and cats with corneal damage or ulcerations. Drops in this case will interfere with the healing process and will only worsen the pet’s condition.

For elimination pain symptom and relaxation eye muscles use special ointments or replace them eye drops. They also reduce the formation of adhesions. If you have glaucoma, these drugs cannot be used as they will lead to an increase in intraocular pressure. Once an infection is identified, antibiotics are prescribed, either taken orally or applied directly to the eye.

If the disease is detected early and all the doctor’s requirements are met, no serious consequences uveitis will not deliver. In the most unfavorable situation, it may be necessary to remove the animal’s eye, so you should pay close attention to your pet’s condition and not neglect treatment.

Uveitis is an inflammation of the choroid of the eye (uveal tract).

Uveal tract– the middle layer of the eye, consisting of the iris, ciliary body and choroid. Anatomically, the tract consists of the anterior and posterior section. The anterior part includes the iris and ciliary body, rear end– choroid.

The causes of uveitis can be divided into exogenous and endogenous unfavorable factors.

TO exogenous reasons relate:

• traumatic eye injuries
• ulcerative lesions, corneal ulcers
• constant mechanical impact
• chemicals and toxins

TO endogenous factors include:

• autoimmune diseases (lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, bleeding disorders)
• infectious, fungal, bacterial infections
• neoplastic factors
• various pathologies of the lens

Development of uveitis non-infectious, as a rule, develop against the background of concomitant secondary systemic diseases - increased blood pressure, primary pathologies and diseases of the ocular structures (keratitis), development of neoplasms of various nature(benign, malignant).

Uveitis is classified depending on which parts of the choroid are affected:

• Anterior uveitis (iridocyclitis): inflammation of the iris and ciliary body.
• Posterior uveitis (choroiditis): inflammation of the choroid.
• Panuveitis: the inflammatory process affects all parts of the choroid.

Due to the fact that the choroid is located between the fibrous membrane of the eyeball (cornea, sclera) and the retina (inner membrane of the eye), with uveitis, adjacent structures may be involved in the inflammatory process:

• Endophthalmitis– inflammation of the choroid, anterior chamber of the eye, vitreous body and adjacent structures of the eye.
• Panophthalmitis– the inflammatory process affects all membranes of the eyeball (fibrous, vascular and retinal).

Uveitis is diagnosed in all members of the cat family, regardless of age and breed. In most cases, uveitis is not primary, but secondary symptom any somatic pathology or illness.

Symptoms

Nonspecific signs characteristic of both uveitis and other eye pathologies are:

• Tearing.
• Blepharospasm.
• Photophobia.
• Redness of the eye.
• Corneal edema.

Specific signs of uveitis are:

• Miosis (constriction of the pupil).
• Opalescence aqueous humor. Observed as light scattering or the presence of opacities in the anterior chamber of the eye.
• Hyphema (accumulation of red blood cells in the anterior chamber of the eye).
• Hypopyon (accumulation of pus in the anterior chamber of the eye).
• Changes in the iris: in initial period diffuse inflammation or nodule formation may occur in the iris due to accumulation inflammatory cells in the stroma of the iris. There may also be a change in the color of the iris due to this infiltration of cells. Also, as a result of inflammation, synechia may develop. With anterior synechia, there is an adhesion of the iris to the cornea; with posterior synechia - adhesion of the iris to the surface of the lens. Sometimes, with severe posterior synechia, the junction of the iris with the lens is observed over 360 degrees. As the pathology progresses, bombardment of the iris may occur. In this case, the iris protrudes into the anterior chamber of the eye due to the accumulation of fluid in the posterior chamber of the eye.
• Reduced intraocular pressure

With chronic anterior uveitis, cataracts often develop. Diffuse and cortical cataracts are usually observed. Eversion of the lens can also be observed as a consequence of rupture of the fibers of the ciliary girdle.

Also, with uveitis, secondary glaucoma can develop due to the formation of scars in the iridocorneal angle or as a result of blocking the normal flow of fluid through the pupil (posterior synechia). Atrophy of the eyeball may also develop as a result of atrophy of the epithelium of the ciliary body.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is made based on visual inspection, laboratory, biochemical research blood. Conduct test reactions to determine systemic pathologies, ultrasound diagnostics eyes, tonometry, measure intraocular pressure.

After collecting anamnesis data, a full clinical examination is performed. It is also necessary to conduct a complete blood test, determine a biochemical profile, urine tests and radiographic examination chest if a fungal or cancerous disease is suspected.

A cytological examination is carried out in the presence of lesions associated with disruption of the flow of intraocular fluid.

to install accurate diagnosis, differentiate this ophthalmological pathology, establish the causes of its occurrence, carry out a comprehensive ophthalmological examination outer and inner parts of the eye.

Assessment of the degree of opalescence of aqueous humor is carried out in a darkened room.

A point light source is brought to the surface of the cornea. Best to use slit lamp, or use an ophthalmoscope with appropriate adjustment. Opalescence is graded from 1+ to 4+, where 1+ is mild opalescence, and 4+ is strongly expressed. With a score of 4+, the lens is almost opaque.

Treatment

The main goal in the treatment of uveitis is to eliminate the cause of the disease, relieve the inflammatory process, relieve pain and preserve vision.

The choice of anti-inflammatory agents used is based on the presence or absence of corneal ulcerations. The frequency of use of anti-inflammatory drugs is determined based on the severity of clinical manifestations.

Corticosteroids are used as anti-inflammatory drugs to local application. Corticosteroids are contraindicated in the presence of corneal ulcers. The frequency of use of drugs depends on the clinical manifestations and may vary depending on the degree of opalescence.

Discontinuation of drugs should be carried out gradually as clinical symptoms (redness, opalescence, presence of cells, miosis, low intraocular pressure) are eliminated.

Before prescribing corticosteroids systemic action appropriate diagnostic studies to exclude systemic infections. IN otherwise possible development severe complications. Based on the results of a blood test, urine test, chest x-ray and clinical examination, no abnormalities should be revealed - only in this case is it possible to prescribe systemic corticosteroids. The use of systemic corticosteroids should be considered when there is a risk of vision loss.

Steroid preparations for subconjunctival administration can be used in cases that are difficult to treat, in cases where administration of drugs by other routes is difficult, or when systemic use corticosteroids are contraindicated due to clinical condition patient. Possible complications when using these drugs, they include injury to the eye with a needle as a result of non-compliance with the injection technique, or the development of corneal pathologies (ulceration, band-like keratopathy), which complicate further treatment.

Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are safe in cases where corneal ulceration occurs; however, these drugs are not as potent as steroid drugs. For severe inflammation, these drugs are effective in combination with topical steroids.

Mydriatics are used to relieve pain. They also help stabilize the blood-ophthalmic barrier.

Topical antibiotics are indicated only in the presence of corneal ulcers or stromal abscesses.

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors can be used three times daily if secondary glaucoma is present. They reduce the level of aqueous humor formation and are not dependent on outflow.

In some cases, secondary complications develop against the background of uveitis, the most important of which are glaucoma, lens luxation, cataracts and retinal detachment.

When glaucoma occurs, drug attempts are made to control intraocular pressure, but this complication It is quite difficult to correct and in most cases requires removal of the affected eye.

For lens luxation, cataracts and retinal detachments, as well as for glaucoma, in most cases the final treatment option is enucleation of the affected eye.

Removing the diseased organ relieves the animal of pain and allows you to stop unsuccessful attempts conservative treatment, reduces the risk of developing intraocular sarcoma against the background of inflammation and allows for histological examination eyes which can lead to staging final diagnosis and protection against complications of the second eye.