Episcleritis and scleritis.

This article will briefly discuss episcleritis and scleritis as clinical entities. Both are forms of ocular inflammation but have different clinical, therapeutic and prognostic implications. Episcleritis is a self-limited disease, causing mild discomfort and infrequently requiring therapeutic intervention. Scleritis is a painful, inflammatory process, commonly associated with systemic disorders and requires systemic anti-inflammatory therapy. It is important to be able to distinguish between the two clinical conditions, as prompt initiation of therapy for scleritis can be sight saving.