Is episcleritis or scleritis more commonly seen clinically?

• A. Scleritis
• B. Both equally
• C. Episcleritis
• D. Neither

Answer: (C)

Episcleritis is more commonly seen in clinical practice. It is a mild, superficial inflammation of the episcleral vessels, typically presenting with redness and mild irritation or tearing. Because it involves only the superficial tissues, it tends to be self-limited and responds well to simple treatments like NSAIDs. In contrast, scleritis affects deeper scleral tissues, causing more severe, often borings or deep ocular pain that can wake the patient at night, and it is more frequently linked with systemic inflammatory diseases. This combination of being milder, more common, and easier to manage makes episcleritis the usual finding clinicians encounter. A practical diagnostic clue is that redness due to episcleritis often blanches with topical vasoconstrictors like phenylephrine, whereas scleritis redness tends to persist because the inflammation is deeper.