Step 1: Anterior uveitis is inflammation of the iris and ciliary body, presenting with a painful red eye, photophobia, circumcorneal congestion, and cells and flare in the anterior chamber. Causes are grouped into infective and non-infective categories.
Step 2: As per the recall key for this paper the marked answer is CMV. Cytomegalovirus is an important infective cause of anterior uveitis, particularly in the form of hypertensive anterior uveitis and Posner-Schlossman like syndromes, and is a recognised viral aetiology that examiners highlight.
Step 3: The distractors each cause uveitis in specific settings but do not fit the marked key here. Ankylosing spondylitis is the classic systemic association of recurrent acute anterior uveitis, while toxoplasma typically causes posterior uveitis with retinochoroiditis rather than primarily anterior disease.
Step 4: Following the printed answer key, CMV is taken as the intended response for this question.