Scleritis, episcleritis - an inflammation of a sclera and an episclera at rheumatic disease, a tuberculosis, less often a lues, acute infectious diseases. On a sclera the inflammation extends usually from a vascular tract, first of all from a body.

Signs. A forward scleritis usually bilateral. The beginning slow or subacute. Between a limbus and equator of an eye there is a limited tumescence and a hyperemia with a bluish shade. At a palpation sharp morbidity is marked. In serious cases the centers of an inflammation cover all pericorneal area (an annular scleritis). Opacities of the vitreous body, a secondary glaucoma are possible diffusion of process on a cornea (a sclerosing keratitis) and complications in the form of an iridocyclitis. Current of process long - many months, sometimes years. After its end there are atrophic sites of a sclera which under influences of an ophthalmotonus can be stretched and evaginate (ectasia and scleral staphylomas). A version of a forward scleritis is the jelly-like sclerokeratitis with infiltration in the field of a limbus of red-brown color and a gelatinous kind and involving in process of a cornea. At a back scleritis the oxycinesia of an eye, restriction of mobility are marked, the century and conjunctivas, an easy exophthalmos has swelled. The episcleritis is characterized by occurrence in a limbus on new places of nodules of the spherical form (a nodous episcleritis) or the flat centers, arising that on one, on other eye (an erratic episcleritis). The scleritis differs from an episcleritis greater gravity of process and involving in it of a vascular tract. The nodous episcleritis reminds phlyctenas and differs from them duration of current and absence of vessels suitable to a nodule.