Uveitis in children creates unique problems in the management of ocular inflammatory disease. While a child's symptoms may differ only slightly from those of adults in many cases, there are substantial differences in the signs, symptoms, etiology, and treatment. These are summarized extensively in this paper. The treatment of both the primary disease and discussion of the complications and the usual course of the illness in children is highlighted. Differential diagnosis poses key problems because some of the masquerade syndromes including juvenile xanthogranuloma and retinoblastoma may confuse the clinician in diagnosis. This is the first of a three-part series of articles.