Eye Injury Accident Claims Attorneys

Traumatic iritis (also known as anterior uveitis) occurs when the iris because inflamed, typically due to some type of trauma that has occurred (usually blunt eye injury, such as from a pellet gun, firecracker, vehicle accident, etc.).

Research has shown that younger and/or male individuals tend to suffer more frequently from iritis than older and/or female individuals. Oftentimes, initial trauma can be prevented by wearing eye protection while engaging in certain activities that can lead to iritis.

Diagnosing and History

Signs of traumatic iritis can include:

  • Unilateral ocular movement;
  • Anterior chamber reaction (white blood cells and/or proteinaceous fluid in the anterior chamber);
  • A vossius ring of iris pigment on the anterior lens capsule;
  • Precipitates forming a hypopyon;
  • Change in intraocular pressure, decreased visual acuity, and perilimbal conjunctival injection;
  • Intraocular pressure may be increased or decreased, depending upon whether there is inflammation or damage of the ciliary body;
  • Miosis;
  • An “iris bombe”; and/or
  • The development of intractable secondary glaucoma.

It is important that a medical professional completes a thorough ophthalmic history which includes looking at recent trauma, medications, family history, the possibility of infection, etc. This is often done via a penlight exam (to assess pupils, redness, discharge, etc.), obtaining visual acuity testing, intraocular pressure readings, a dilated fundus examination, and other examinations to rule out various other issues, such as any anterior chamber reactions.

It is also important to note that several other conditions—including traumatic hyphema, traumatic retinal detachment, and traumatic corneal abrasion—can look very much like traumatic iritis, thus, these conditions need to be ruled out during the examination.

Symptoms

Symptoms of traumatic iritis can include:

  • Pain when light enters the eye (photophobia), as well as ocular pain characterized by a throbbing within the first three days of the traumatic event (with topical anesthetic providing little relief);
  • Tearing;
  • Decreased visual acuity

Treatment

Typical treatment for traumatic iritis includes:

  • Topical steroids, such as prednisone (however, note that these should be avoided if there is a corneal epithelial defect);
  • Topical cycloplegics, such as cyclopentolate 2% tid; and/or
  • Topical beta-blockers (if secondary glaucoma is present and there are no contraindications to using these).

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If you have suffered from traumatic iritis, or any other serious eye injury due to someone else’s carelessness or actions, we are just a phone call away. Contact our law offices to for a free consultation and find out how we can help.  It’s easy, just call The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan today at (508) 588-0422 and you will have taken your first step towards getting fair compensation for your injuries or for the loss of a loved one. You can also click here to use our Free Case Evaluation Form.

We offer a free, no-obligation legal consultation to help you understand your rights and the value of your case.

Our Traumatic Iritis Attorneys handle all types of accident claims including those involving motor vehicle accidents, throughout all of Massachusetts including, but not limited to, those in the following counties, cities and towns: Plymouth County including Brockton, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Marshfield, Hingham, Duxbury, Wareham, Abington, Rockland, Whitman, Hanson, Middleborough; Norfolk County including Quincy, Stoughton, Dedham, Weymouth, Braintree, Avon, Holbrook, Randolph, Canton, Sharon, Brookline, Franklin; Bristol County including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Mansfield, Easton, Raynham, Norton; Cape Cod, Falmouth, Barnstable and the Greater Boston area including Cambridge, Lynn, Lawrence, Revere, Chelsea, Everett, Dorchester, Roxbury and Somerville.