PCOS and uveitis: a case report

Abstract

Uveitis is a condition of inflammation of the uveal tract of the eye. This inflammation can be located in the iris, ciliary body, or the choroid or any combination of the three. This inflammation can be considered idiopathic in approximately 50% of individuals if the uveitis is only affecting the iris or the ciliary body. (Kanski). Typically in a patient who has an anterior uveitis episode, the initial episode is considered idiopathic until proven otherwise. However if the patient gets another bout of anterior uveitis then the provider begins to question whether there is some type of underlying immunological component. (Kanski) Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disease characterized by hyperandrogenism, absent or sparse ovulation, and multiple cysts on or around the ovaries.1 It affects 4-10% of reproductive-aged women, making it one of the most common female endocrinopathies.1 Up to 70% of women diagnosed with PCOS also experience insulin resistance, which is argued to be either a contributing cause to or a resultant effect of the disease.1 Many in the scientific community have contested that PCOS is a disease of inflammation, characterized by increases in pro-inflammatory markers.1–5