Pars Planitis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Retinal Vasculitis

The International Uveitis Study Group classifies uveitis according to the anatomic area of the eye that is principally involved by the inflammation, irrespective of cause.13 In intermediate uveitis the inflammation predominantly involves the vitreous base and peripheral retina. The term pars planitis is used to describe the group of patients who have exudate at the pars plana and vitreous base. Pars planitis is a subgroup of intermediate uveitis and not a separate entity. Henderly et a147 reviewed 61 patients with intermediate uveitis and found those with a pars plana exudate to have severer vitritis, cystoid macular edema, and a worse visual prognosis than those patients with intermediate uveitis who did not display these signs. Retinal vasculitis can be the predominant finding in intermediate uveitis. Retinal uasculitis (RV) is a term that implies inflammation of the retinal vasculature. Unlike vasculitis elsewhere in the body, is diagnosed by its appearance on ophthalmoscopy, whereas at other sites it is a pathologic diagnosis.