Episcleritis

– is a benign, self-limiting inflammatory disease affecting part of the eye called the episclera.

 
There are two types of episcleritis, one where the episclera is diffusely affected (diffuse episcleritis), and the other where nodules are present in the episclera (nodular episcleritis).

Treatment focuses on decreasing discomfort, and includes lubricating eye drops. More severe cases may be treated with topical corticosteroids or oral anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs).

Most of the time, the cause of episcleritis is never determined (idiopathic).

Several diseases are associated with episcleritis, including systemic vasculitic diseases (polyarteritis nodosa, Wegener’s granulomatosis), connective tissue diseases (rheumatoid arthritis),rosacea, atopy,gout, and ulcerative colitis. 59 percent of patients with relapsing polychondritis have either episcleritis or scleritis.
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