Abstract: Viral anterior uveitis,  remains the predominant type of uveitis,  which is a major cause of visual impairment throughout the world. With complicated etiology,  unclear pathogenesis and wide spectrum of manifestation,  viral anterior uveitis may initially be misdiagnosed. It’s a great challenge to differentiate viral anterior uveitis from other forms of uveitis accurately and timely.  It could be aggravated or recurrent without appropriate treatment. This review presents the clinical features,  the newer diagnostic modalities and the treatment strategy of viral anterior uveitis,  including herpetic simple virus,  varicella zoster virus,  cytomegalovirus and rubella virus. The clinical manifestations of the different viral anterior uveitis are compared. The molecular techniques for diagnosis and the treatment strategy are highlighted.  (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2013, 37: 340-345)