Be alert for acute iridocyclitis

  In clinical practice, about 30% of patients with red and painful eyes mistakenly believe that they have acute conjunctivitis, and end up going to the pharmacy to buy anti-inflammatory eye drops such as ofloxacin on their own without getting better, and are eventually diagnosed with acute iridocyclitis. This “misdiagnosis” is dangerous because if the condition is not treated in time and allowed to progress, vision will continue to decline and in severe cases can cause a series of complications, such as concurrent cataracts and secondary glaucoma, which can seriously affect vision and even cause blindness.  Acute iridocyclitis 1. Symptoms: rapid onset, obvious symptoms, redness of the eye, eye pain, photophobia, lacrimation with vision loss, most have colds, stay up late. Previous history of rheumatic immune system diseases.  2, signs: ciliary congestion, cloudy atrial fluid, Tyndall phenomenon, posterior corneal wall deposits, unclear iris texture, pupil narrowing may occur after the iris adhesions.  3. Treatment: In terms of treatment, the cause of acute iridocyclitis must be removed, such as actively seeking treatment for the patient’s pre-existing rheumatic immune system disease. The first step in the treatment of iridocyclitis is to dilate the pupil, which is crucial to the prognosis. Atropine 1% eye drops three times a day and atropine 1% eye ointment once a night are commonly used to keep the pupil dilated until the inflammation subsides. In addition, corticosteroids or non-steroidal drugs, antibiotics and other treatment methods can be used, with 0.5% hydrocortisone acetate, prednisolone or 0.1% dexamethasone eye solution, 4-6 times a day. Prednisone suspension can also be injected subconjunctivally, 0.2 to 0.3 ml each time, and the injection can be repeated after 7 to 10 days according to the condition. In severe cases, systemic administration is used, with prednisone 10~15mg or dexamethasone 0.75~1.5mg orally, decreasing every 6~8 hours for 5 to 7 days. Patients can wear tinted glasses to shade the light during the illness to avoid strong light to stimulate the pupil, which can effectively reduce the pain.