INTERMEDIATE UVEITIS (PARS PLANITIS)

It denotes inflammation of pars plana part of ciliary
body and most peripheral part of the retina.
Etiology. It is an idiopathic disease usually affecting
both eyes (80 percent) of children and young adults.
Pars planitis is a rather common entity, constituting 8
percent of uveitis patients.
Clinical features. Symptoms. Most of the patients
present with history of floaters. Some patients may
come with defective vision due to associated cystoid
macular oedema.
Signs. The eye is usually quiet. Slit-lamp examination
may show: mild aqueous flare, and fine KPs at the back
of cornea. Anterior vitreous may show cells. Fundus
examination with indirect ophthalmoscope reveals the
whitish exudates present near the ora serrata in the
inferior quadrant. These typical exudates are referred
as snow ball opacities. These may coalesce to form a
grey white plaque called snow banking.
Complications of long-standing pars planitis include:
cystoid macular oedema, complicated cataract and
tractional retinal detachment.
Treatment
1. Corticosteroids administered systemically and as
repeated periocular injections may be effective in
some cases.
2. Immunosuppressive drugs may be helpful in
steroid resistant cases.
3. Peripheral cryotherapy is also reported to be
effective.