Redness of the eye is a warning signal common to many diseases. Minor conjunctival inflammation caused by superficial infections, inadequate tear production, and allergies can mimic more serious eye diseases such as uveitis, especially when only a cursory ocular examination is performed. How can one be sure not to overlook these more serious, potentially bunding diseases? Assume the worst if your patient demonstrates one or more of these eight criteria: vision loss, pain, ocular opacity, pupillaryirregularities, redness concentrated at the limbus, a decrease in intraocular pressure, a history of previous intraocular inflammation, or failure to respond to therapy. By far the most important abnormality of the canine and feline anterior uvea is inflammatory disease, i.e. anterior uveitis or iridocyclitis. Early recognition and treatment are imperative, as the structural and functional abnormalities that accompany uveitis may result in blindness. More significantly, uveitis may be a component of systemic disease that could ultimately compromise the patient's general health.
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