Chapter 15 ERU Flashcards
What is Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU)?
A condition characterized by multiple recurrent bouts of inflammation of the iris, ciliary body, and choroid, with periods of remission.
What are other names for Equine Recurrent Uveitis?
Moon blindness, iridocyclitis, and periodic ophthalmia.
What is the peak age for the initial uveitis episode in horses?
4-6 years old.
Which horse breeds are predisposed to ERU?
Appaloosa, Warmblood, and American Quarter Horse.
What are the three clinical syndromes of ERU?
Classic, insidious, and posterior ERU.
What characterizes classic ERU?
Active inflammatory episodes in the eye, followed by periods of minimal, chronic ocular inflammation.
What are typical clinical signs of active ERU?
Photophobia, blepharospasm, corneal edema, aqueous flare, hypopyon, miosis, vitreous haze, and chorioretinitis.
What clinical signs are associated with chronic ERU?
Corneal edema, iris fibrosis, posterior synechia, corpora nigra degeneration, miosis, cataract formation, vitreous degeneration, and peripapillary retinal degeneration.
What is insidious ERU?
A form of ERU where inflammation remains at a constant, low-grade level, leading to chronic clinical signs.
Which breeds are most commonly affected by insidious ERU?
Appaloosa and draft breed horses.
What characterizes posterior ERU?
Clinical signs existing entirely in the vitreous and retina, with little or no anterior signs of uveitis.
Which breed is most commonly affected by posterior ERU?
Warmblood horses.
What is primary uveitis?
Acute uveitis caused by various infectious and non-infectious agents.
What systemic disease is commonly associated with ERU?
Leptospirosis.
What role do leptospiral antigens LruA, LruB, and LruC play in ERU?
They cross-react with equine ocular proteins, contributing to the immunopathogenesis of ERU.
What is the blood-ocular barrier?
A barrier that consists of the blood-aqueous barrier and the blood-retinal barrier, preventing large molecules and cells from entering the eye.
What happens when the blood-ocular barrier is disrupted?
Blood products and cells enter the eye, leading to inflammation and immune responses.
What type of inflammatory cells predominantly infiltrate ERU eyes?
CD4+ T cells.