Uveitic glaucoma (or uveitis glaucoma, or anterior uveitic glaucoma, or anterior noninfectious uveitic glaucoma, or uveitis associated with glaucoma, or iritic glaucoma) is most commonly a progression stage of noninfectious anterior uveitis or iritis. Noninfectious anterior uveitis is an inflammation of the anterior (front) part of the eye and is instigated by autoimmune or other noninfectious causes (noninfectious uveitis can also affect the posterior segments of the eye, and then is called posterior, pan or intermediate uveitis). The onset of noninfectious uveitis occurs in patients in their thirties, with up to 10% of cases diagnosed in children under the age of 16. The condition may persist as a chronic disease. Noninfectious uveitis is the most common form of uveitis in developed countries. Approximately 30% of uveitis patients develop glaucoma as a result of the inflammation that occurs in uveitis, as a complication of steroid treatment or a combination of both.Uveitis, as well as steroid treatment for uveitis, can cause an increased resistance to the flow of aqueous humour (the clear liquid suspended between the lens and the cornea) from the eye. This leads to an excess of fluid buildup, which exerts elevated pressure on the inside parts of the eye, or elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Elevated intraocular pressure can in turn lead to optic nerve damage and glaucoma. Based on epidemiological studies of uveitis, approximately 34-94/100,000 people will develop uveitic glaucoma (see Epidemiology section).
Research
Steroid-free medication for uveitis and uveitic glaucoma
A steroid-free eyedrop medication for uveitis and uveitic glaucoma patients, TRS01, is undergoing clinical investigation (as of May 2022). TRS01 is intended as an anti-inflammatory medication for uveitis and uveitic glaucoma that is not anticipated to contribute to elevated intraocular pressure and glaucoma. Up to May 2022, two Phase I/II clinical trials testing TRS01 have been completed. Several dozen patients have undergone these trials. TRS01 is now being investigated in a Phase III clinical trial in patients with noninfectious anterior uveitis, including some with uveitic glaucoma. == References ==