Diagnostic ophthalmology. Anterior and posterior uveitis with inflammatory retinal detachment, most likely secondary to equine recurrent uveitis.

This study focuses on a case of a Thoroughbred gelding horse that was diagnosed with anterior and posterior uveitis accompanied by an inflammatory retinal detachment. This condition is believed to be a result of equine recurrent uveitis.

Clinical Examination and Findings

• The horse was brought to consultation displaying several signs of eye-related issues such as blepharospasm, excessive tear production (lacrimation), redness of the right eye, and recent right vision loss.
• The horse demonstrated absence of right eye menace response, a reflex action to a quickly approaching object, showing vision impairment. However, the reflex actions involving eyelid movement (palpebral) and head and eye movement in response to neck rotation (oculocephalic) were normal in both eyes.
• The right eye had impaired pupillary light reflex response – an essential reflex which indicates how the eye perceives brightness and adjusts its iris accordingly.
• Tear production in both eyes was normal measured using Schirmer tear test. The intraocular pressures of both eyes were measured, with the right eye presenting as lower than the left.
• Physical observations made using biomicroscopy showed explicit signs of inflammation and damage in the right eye. This included: corneal edema (water retention causing swelling), pigment deposition in the lens, right aqueous flare (increase in protein levels in the eye, indicative of inflammation), presence of cataract, and exudates in vitreous – clear gel filling between the lens and the retina of the eyeball.

Further Observations and Diagnosis

• Further examination of the horse’s right eye included dilation of the pupils using tropicamide and an indirect ophthalmoscopic examination.
• A photograph of the anterior segment (front part) of the right eye was taken for further analysis (Figure 1).
• The study of the fundus (interior surface of the eye) was carried out using a device called Heine Omega 200 and a picture was also taken (Figure 2).
• The observations made and the history of repeated episodes strongly indicated a case of anterior and posterior uveitis, a type of eye inflammation, coupled with an inflammatory retinal detachment. This condition was determined as most likely secondary to equine recurrent uveitis, a commonly occurring eye disease in horses that can lead to blindness.