Comparative efficacy of steroid-sparing therapies for non-infectious uveitis

Expert Rev Ophthalmol. 2017;12(4):313-319. doi: 10.1080/17469899.2017.1319762. Epub 2017 Apr 26.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Non-infectious uveitis encompasses a group of inflammatory eye diseases that can cause irreversible vision loss if left untreated or undertreated. In cases requiring stemic treatment, a step-wise treatment approach is often employed starting with corticosteroids for severe active disease, followed by initiation of steroid-sparing therapies to maintain inflammatory control and avoid the abundant complications of long-term corticosteroid use.

AREAS COVERED: We review the current high-quality evidence comparing the efficacy of various systemic steroid-sparing agents in the treatment of non-infectious uveitis. For studies to be included, they had to have a prospective, randomized, comparative design or a retrospective design including at least 100 patients.

EXPERT COMMENTARY: Given the rarity of uveitis and the heterogeneity of uveitic diseases, there are few randomized controlled studies that directly compare the relative efficacy of the various steroid-sparing immunosuppressive agents. Therefore, current treatment strategies are based mainly on data from observational series.

PMID:30867672 | PMC:PMC6411306 | DOI:10.1080/17469899.2017.1319762