Anterior segment · Foundation level · 2 questions
A painful red eye
Teaching case · Awaiting clinical review. For professional education; apply clinical judgement and local referral pathways.
Presentation
A 34-year-old presents with one day of a painful, red left eye and marked photophobia. There is no purulent discharge. Visual acuity is 6/18 left and 6/6 right. Slit-lamp examination shows circumlimbal injection and anterior chamber cells and flare. The cornea has no epithelial defect, and intraocular pressure is 15 mmHg in each eye.
0 of 2 questions completed
Question 1 of 2
Answer: Acute anterior uveitis
Acute anterior uveitis best explains the painful photophobic eye with anterior chamber cells and flare. The examination localizes inflammation to the anterior segment.
Why not the other options?
Conjunctivitis does not explain the anterior chamber inflammation. Cataract and uncomplicated posterior vitreous detachment do not fit this painful red-eye presentation.
Question 2 of 2
Answer: Arrange urgent ophthalmic assessment and a cause-directed treatment plan
Arrange urgent ophthalmic assessment. Evaluate the cause and extent of inflammation before selecting treatment; follow-up is needed to monitor response and complications.
Why not the other options?
Delayed review and lubricants alone do not address intraocular inflammation. Treatment is individualized; another person’s prescription is not appropriate.
Anterior uveitis: clinical example
Clinical photograph of anterior uveitis with ciliary injection and coexisting nuclear cataract. The published example followed an electrical injury; its history and findings differ from this teaching scenario.
Photo: Rahmi Duman, Sadık Görkem Çevik and Ayşe Tüfekçi · Original source · CC BY 4.0. Image unchanged.
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Learning points
- Anterior chamber inflammation is a key diagnostic finding.
- A painful photophobic red eye with reduced vision warrants prompt assessment.
- Treatment and follow-up depend on the cause and extent of uveitis.