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Black Swan co-star and Golden Globe nominee Mila Kunis revealed in the February issue of magazine a secret health condition: “I was blind in one eye for many years, and nobody knew ... I’m not blind any more. I had surgery a couple of months ago. They cut it open and dropped a new lens in there.” The blindness was caused by a condition called chronic iritis. The condition caused a cataract in that eye which affected her vision. Replacing the lens in the affected eye restored her sight.

What is Chronic Iritis?

Iritis is inflammation predominantly located in the iris of the eye. Inflammation in the iris is more correctly called anterior uveitis.

Uveitis occurs most frequently in people ages 20 to 50, and affects men and women equally. It is estimated that more than 280,000 people in the United States are affected by uveitis each year and that uveitis is the reason for 30,000 new cases of blindness a year and up to 10 percent of all cases of blindness. The disorder may affect only one eye.

Iritis/uveitis can be associated with many medical conditions, including autoimmune diseases such as  rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory conditions like Crohn's Disease or ulcerative colitis, and infectious disorders including herpes and tuberculosis. However, at least half of cases have no associated medical conditions.

Symptoms of Anterior Uveitis:

• Redness of the eye
• Blurred vision
• Photophobia
• Dark, floating spots along the visual field
• Eye pain

The diagnosis of uveitis can be made with a slit lamp examination, however further evaluation, including blood work, should be done to look for an underlying cause. The hallmark of the disease is what is referred to as "cells and flare." "Cell” refers to the individual inflammatory cells while “flare” is the foggy appearance given by protein that has leaked from inflamed blood vessels.

The prognosis is generally good for those who receive prompt diagnosis and treatment, but serious complications (including cataracts, glaucoma, band keratopathy, retinal edema, and permanent vision loss) may result if left untreated.

Uveitis is typically treated with glucocorticoids, either as topical eye drops (prednisolone acetate) or oral therapy. A Florescence Dye test should be done before starting treatment to rule out corneal ulcerations. In addition to corticosteroids, topical cycloplegics, such as atropine or homatropine, may be used.

Cataracts are a common complication of uveitis. The damaged lens can be replaced, but not until the inflammation caused by uveitis is brought under control and the eye free of inflammation for at least three months prior to surgery.

Long-term use of corticosteroids used to treat uveitis can also increase the risk of developing cataracts. The type of cataract developed by long-term corticosteroid use causes the most visual disturbance.

Other possible complications of anterior uveitis include fluid within the retina, glaucoma, detachment of the retina and vision loss.

For more information about chronic iritis, click to go to the Resounding Health Casebook on the topic.

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