What is iritis?

Also known as: uveitis.

The uvea is the middle layer of the eye that supplies blood and nourishment to the eye. It is made up of 3 parts: the iris (the colored part of the eye), the ciliary body and the choroid. Uveitis refers to the serious inflammation or swelling of this layer. When uveitis occurs near the front of the uvea, (anterior uveitis) the iris alone (iritis, the most common form of uveitis) or the iris and choroid are inflamed.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM