What does iritis mean?
Iritis is inflammation of the iris, the thin, colored muscular ring inside the eye that regulates how much light enters through the pupil. The condition can cause eye pain, redness, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light, and it may occur as an isolated episode or recur over time. Iritis is generally treated by a clinician, often with anti-inflammatory eye drops, because prolonged or severe inflammation can threaten vision. The term is sometimes used more broadly in older medical writing, but anterior uveitis is now a common alternative when the condition is known to involve nearby structures as well. It should not be confused with uveitis, which is the umbrella term for inflammation of the uvea and may affect the iris, ciliary body, or choroid. Iritis is also the source of the adjective iritic, as in an iritic eye or iritic pain. Its name derives from the same Greek root as iris, linking the condition to the rainbow-colored part of the eye.
nounInflammation of the iris, the colored, muscular part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil.
- Inflammation of the iris of the eye.
"Her ophthalmologist diagnosed iritis after she developed a painful red eye and sensitivity to light."
"She was treated with eye drops to reduce the inflammation caused by iritis."
"Recurrent iritis can cause the doctor to investigate whether another condition is present."
The plural is established but uncommon in ordinary writing; clinical prose frequently uses “cases of iritis” instead.
"Several iritides were treated with topical corticosteroids at the clinic."
Iritis takes its name from the Greek word for “rainbow,” a fitting connection for the eye’s colorful central ring.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of iritis
Iritis was formed in New Latin from Greek iris, meaning “rainbow” and also referring to the colored part of the eye, together with the suffix -itis, used to name inflammation. The Greek word had already been borrowed into Latin for both the rainbow and the eye's iris. Cognate English words include iris, iridectomy, iridology, and iridescent.
Related word forms
How iritis is actually used
Iritis is a formal medical term used mainly in clinical contexts. In current usage, anterior uveitis is often preferred when describing inflammation that may involve structures of the anterior uvea in addition to the iris.
Easily confused with iritis
Iritis specifically denotes inflammation of the iris, whereas uveitis is the broader term for inflammation of any part of the uvea, including the iris, ciliary body, and choroid.
Iritis is the noun naming the inflammatory condition, while iritic is the adjective meaning relating to or affected by iritis.