Uveitis
Uveitis refers to inflammatory and infectious diseases in and around the eye. These conditions are often associated with systemic diseases, including sarcoidosis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Colorado Retina is a tertiary referral center for patients with these complex diseases, seeing patients from Colorado and seven surrounding states from Montana to New Mexico. In many cases uveitis is treated with immunosuppression therapy to prevent additional flares and damage, and Colorado Retina is proud to offer these treatments, including an intravenous infusion suite in our Parker, Colorado office. We work closely with rheumatology, neurology, infectious disease, and many other subspecialists to create a network of physicians dedicated to the treatment of uveitis and autoimmune eye disease.
Types of Uveitis

Neuroretinitis from Bartonella infection
Risk Factors, Causes, & Symptoms

Birdshot chorioretinopathy, associated with HLA-A29 gene
Some of these diseases can be associated with certain genes (HLA-B27, HLA-A29), some with autoimmune diseases (sarcoidosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), and less commonly from infections like tuberculosis and syphilis. Part of your evaluation at Colorado Retina will include laboratory testing to evaluate for all of these risk factors, though 40-50% of cases are not associated with a known cause (idiopathic) and localized only to the eyes. Symptoms vary depending on which part of the eye is affected; inflammation in the front of the eye typically causes pain, redness, and light sensitivity, while inflammation in the back of the eye more commonly causes floaters, flashes, and dark patches within the visual field.
Testing & Diagnosis

Fluorescein angiography to evaluate retinal vasculitis
Treatment

Infliximab (Remicade) intravenous infusion for a patient with birdshot chorioretinopathy
Uveitis Fact Sheets
Download the following document to learn more about uveitis.
Meet Your Specialists
Dr. Mark Dacey

Dr. Mark Dacey is very active in the field of uveitis on local, national, and international levels. He has written many peer-reviewed articles in major journals and been invited to speak at national and international uveitis symposiums. He has been a primary investigator on many of the major uveitis studies in the past decade, including several active clinical research trials, to bring cutting-edge technologies to Colorado patients. Dr. Dacey has also served as an advisor and consultant, working closely with companies to develop and bring these exciting new technologies to become available to our patients.
Dr. Ashleigh Levison

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