Rachel, Welcome to the group!

[Mike Bartolatz]

Viewing profile - Rachael76
Username:Rachael76 Eye Symptoms:My doctor diagnosed me with having Iritis in Feb '08, since then I've had this about 8 times. This week, the Iritis has returned to my left eye with a vengeance. My doctor ordered a TB test and chest Xray. Thanks to your website, I understand the need for the TB test. I haven't been able to find out why the chest Xray is necessary. Any information would be helpful.

Rachel,
TB is rarely a cause of uveitis but it is found worldwide and if one travels to countries with TB, one could develop this. it is a cause of uveitis, most often Granulomatus uveitis if I recall correctly. TB affects many organ systems. the Lung is often a target and Xray is used to see if lesions have developed there.
more common causes of granulomatus uveitis are from Venereal diseases such as Syphilis. Sarcoidosis can also cause granulomatus uveitis and lung disease and other organ involvement. Juvenile Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause granulomatus uveitis. often the Pars Plana region of the eye becomes involved in granulomatus uveitis. the pars plana is part of the ciliary body just behind the iris and is difficult to see through the slit lamp microscope. exudate, pus like material can be seen through a hand held prism by the opthalmologist. the macula can also be involved and the optic nerve can be inflammed causing optic neuritis. sometimes new blood vessels grow for which there is treatment to prevent them from bleeding. Cystoid Macular Edema can also become a complication.

Wishing you the very best,
Mike