Intravitreal triamcinolone for persistent cystoid macular oedema in eyes with quiescent uveitis

Background:  To determine the outcome following injections of triamcinolone acetate (IVTA) in the treatment of persistent cystoid macular oedema (CMO) in quiescent, non-infectious uveitis.
Methods:  Retrospective analysis of patients with inactive uveitis requiring/not requiring immunosuppressive therapy who received IVTA because of chronic CMO refractory to previous systemic steroids. Number of IVTA (re-)treatments, distance visual acuity, near visual acuity, mean foveal thickness, intraocular pressure, duration of CMO, type of uveitis and systemic therapy were assessed previous to and 1, 4, 12 weeks following each IVTA treatment.
Results:  Between March 2003 and May 2006, 24 eyes of 18 patients received between one and three IVTA injections. A resolution of chronic CMO was observed in 7/24 eyes (29.2%, 5 eyes after single injection of IVTA, 1 eye each after two and three injections of IVTA), a significant increase in distance visual acuity in 9/24 eyes (37.5%; 5 eyes with resolution of CMO, 4 eyes despite persistent CMO) and in near visual acuity in 13/24 eyes (54.6%; 6 eyes with resolution of CMO, 7 eyes despite persistent CMO).
Conclusions:  IVTA might be considered as a treatment for patients with chronic CMO when persistent despite previous systemic steroid therapy. Even patients without sustained resolution of CMO after IVTA might benefit in terms of transiently increasing visual acuity, but progression of cataract and rise in intraocular pressure limit repeatability.     

Demystifying viral anterior uveitis: A review

A viral aetiology should be suspected when anterior uveitis is accompanied by ocular hypertension, diffuse stellate keratic precipitates or the presence of iris atrophy. The most common viruses associated with anterior uveitis include herpes simplex virus, varicella‐zoster virus, cytomegalovirus and rubella virus. They may present as the following: Firstly, granulomatous cluster of small and medium‐sized keratic precipitates in Arlt's triangle, with or without corneal scars, suggestive of herpes simplex or varicella‐zoster virus infection. Secondly, Posner‐Schlossman syndrome with few medium‐sized keratic precipitates, minimal anterior chamber cells and extremely high intraocular pressure; this is mainly associated with cytomegalovirus. Thirdly, Fuchs uveitis syndrome, with fine stellate keratic precipitates diffusely distributed over the corneal endothelium, with diffuse iris stromal atrophy but without posterior synechiae, is associated mainly with rubella or cytomegalovirus infection. In rubella, the onset is in the second to third decade. It presents with posterior subcapsular cataract, may have iris heterochromia and often develops vitritis without macular oedema. Cytomegalovirus affects predominantly Asian males in the fifth to seventh decade, the keratic precipitates may be pigmented or appear in coin‐like pattern or develop nodular endothelial lesions, but rarely vitritis. Eyes with cytomegalovirus tend to have lower endothelial cell counts than the fellow eye. As their ocular manifestations are variable and may overlap considerably, viral AU can pose a diagnostic dilemma. Thus, quantitative polymerase chain reaction or Goldmann‐Witmer coefficient assay from aqueous humour samples are preferred to confirm the aetiology and determine the disease severity as this impacts the treatment.     

药物源性葡萄膜炎

葡萄膜炎病因复杂,在非感染性葡萄膜炎中,药物源性是原因之一,特别是近年来新型药物剂型及给药方式的应用,越来越多的眼病与药物使用相关.根据Naronjo制定的药物源性疾病的诊断标准,已经发现有120余种药物与葡萄膜炎发病相关,常见的有利福布丁、西多福韦、磺胺、双碳膦酸盐类、抗TNFa抗体类以及治疗转移性肿瘤靶向性药物和多种疫苗等.     

地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂在非感染性葡萄膜炎继发黄斑水肿患者治疗中的作用

目的　观察地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂在治疗非感染性葡萄膜炎继发黄斑水肿中的安全性和临床疗效。方法　回顾性分析我院2019年12月至2021年12月临床确诊的非感染性葡萄膜炎继发黄斑水肿患者30例（30眼）,给予玻璃体内注射地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂治疗。所有患眼均行最佳矫正视力(BCVA)及眼压测量,并采用OCT测量黄斑中心视网膜厚度(CMT)。术后随访6个月,所有患者均于术前,术后1个月、3个月及6个月重复检测并比较BCVA、CMT。随访期间观察患者眼压变化,监测白内障进展、结膜下出血等眼部不良反应。结果　患者术前及术后1个月、3个月及6个月BCVA(logMAR)分别为0.74±0.37、0.47±0.29、0.28±0.14、0.37±0.17。患者术前,术后1个月、3个月及6个月CMT分别为(372.12± 99.42)μm、(298.14±82.44)μm、(278.45±62.43)μm、(289.31±56.34)μm。患者各时间点BCVA、CMT差异均有统计学意义（均为P<0.05)。与术前相比,患者术后1个月、3个月及6个月BCVA和CMT差异均有统计学意义（均为P<0.05）。术后各时间点两两比较结果显示,患者BCVA和CMT差异均无统计学意义（均为P>0.05)。随访期间有6例患者出现眼压升高（≥25 mmHg,1 kPa=7.5 mmHg）,经局部降眼压药物应用后降至正常水平。4例患者出现白内障进展,均无需手术治疗。结论　玻璃体内注射地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂能够提高患者视力及降低CMT,有效治疗非感染性葡萄膜炎继发黄斑水肿。     

Emerging infectious uveitis: Chikungunya,dengue, Zika and Ebola: A review

Recently recognized forms of uveitis include intraocular inflammations that occur during or following one of several emerging infectious diseases: chikungunya fever, dengue, Zika virus disease and Ebola virus disease. Anterior, intermediate, posterior and pan‐uveitis have been described in individuals infected with chikungunya virus. Persons who contract dengue or Zika viruses also may develop different types of uveitis in the course of the infection: maculopathy is a common manifestation of dengue eye disease, and Zika eye disease may cause hypertensive anterior uveitis or mimic a white dot syndrome. Up to one‐third of Ebola survivors develop aggressive uveitis, which is frequently associated with vision loss and complicated by cataract. There are no specific anti‐viral drugs for these forms of uveitis, and thus treatment is largely supportive. In this article, we summarize the systemic infectious diseases and virology, and describe the clinical presentations, outcomes and management of emerging viral forms of uveitis.     

Intravitreal Adalimumab in Active Noninfectious Uveitis: A Pilot Study

Purpose: To evaluate the short-term efficacy of intravitreal adalimumab (IVA) for the treatment of eyes with active noninfectious uveitis.

Methods: Consecutive eyes with active noninfectious uveitis were injected with IVA at 0, 2, then every 4 weeks for total of 26 weeks.

Results: Six out of 7 patients (12 of 13 eyes) completed 26 weeks of treatment. One patient (1 eye) failed treatment. Seven out of 12 eyes had improvement of ≥2 ETDRS lines. Three out of three eyes had resolution of anterior chamber cells. And 9 of 10 eyes with vitreous haze had zero haze at 26 weeks. Five out of 8 eyes with macular edema had complete resolution. Median fluorescein angiography score improved from 14 to 4 on last follow-up.

Conclusions: IVA was effective in controlling the inflammation, decreasing the macular edema, and improving the best corrected visual acuity in the majority of eyes in this series.     

地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂治疗难治性非感染性葡萄膜炎的有效性与安全性

目的：观察地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂(Ozurdex)治疗难治性非感染性葡萄膜炎的有效性和安全性及其对全身糖皮质激素和免疫抑制剂使用剂量的影响。

方法：回顾性系列病例研究。纳入2018-01/2019-09确诊为难治性非感染性葡萄膜炎并采用地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂治疗的患者19例21眼，观察地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂治疗后1、2、4、6mo患者的最佳矫正视力(BCVA，LogMAR)、中央视网膜厚度(CRT)、炎性玻璃体混浊评分、全身使用糖皮质激素和免疫抑制剂剂量，并与基线进行比较。

结果：研究眼基线平均BCVA 0.671±0.469，CRT 369.667±177.100μm，眼压14.26±3.44mmHg。地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂治疗1、2、4、6mo后BCVA较基线显著改善(P<0.05)、CRT较基线降低(P<0.05)、玻璃体混浊评分显著降低(P<0.05)。随访期间，部分患者眼压较基线升高，但末次随访所有患者眼压均在正常值范围。基线时，患者6例6眼口服醋酸泼尼松治疗，平均剂量为35.8mg/d； 随访6mo时，仅2例患者需口服醋酸泼尼松(平均剂量为5mg/d)。除3例白塞病患者在4～6mo期间黄斑水肿复发外，其余患者随访至6mo均未复发。

结论：地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂治疗非感染性难治性葡萄膜炎安全有效，可显著改善视力，减轻黄斑水肿，减轻玻璃体炎症，减少系统性糖皮质激素使用剂量。     

地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂治疗非感染性葡萄膜炎顽固性黄斑水肿

目的：观察地塞米松玻璃体内植入剂(IDI)治疗非感染性葡萄膜炎(NIU)顽固性黄斑水肿的有效性及安全性。

方法：选取2018-04/2020-06在新疆军区总医院北京路医疗区眼科确诊的NIU患者25例30眼,均进行玻璃体腔注射IDI治疗,观察治疗前后最佳矫正视力(BCVA)、黄斑中心凹视网膜厚度(CMT)、玻璃体混浊程度评分及并发症等情况。

结果：首次玻璃体腔注射IDI治疗前,纳入患者BCVA(LogMAR)为0.76±0.37,CMT为480.03±96.72μm,玻璃体混浊程度评分为3.06±0.78分; 治疗后1、3、6mo,BCVA分别为0.61±0.24、0.53±0.10、0.40±0.13,均较治疗前明显改善(P<0.05),CMT分别为324.54±79.88、245.16±67.87、185.52±36.05μm,较治疗前明显降低(P<0.05),玻璃体混浊程度评分分别为2.31±0.64、1.37±0.76、0.82±0.42分,均较治疗前明显降低(P<0.05)。平均随访8.2±2.1mo,6眼眼压升高,经降眼压治疗后末次随访时处于正常范围; 3眼玻璃体腔重复注射IDI; 所有患者均无感染性眼内炎等并发症发生。

结论：玻璃体腔注射IDI治疗NIU继发的顽固性黄斑水肿具有良好的安全性及有效性,可有效降低CMT,减轻玻璃体炎症,改善视力。     

Practical approach to the use of corticosteroids in patients with uveitis

Corticosteroids constitute the first line of therapy for patients with noninfectious ocular inflammatory disease. We review factors contributing to the clinical effectiveness of various corticosteroid preparations in patients with uveitis and discuss practical aspects regarding treatment indications, when to administer various agents, and how best to dose and monitor for both treatment and adverse effects. Topically administered corticosteroids are typically indicated for the treatment of anterior uveitis, whereas periocular or intravitreal agents are employed most often in the management of intermediate or posterior intraocular inflammation. Patients with vision-threatening uveitis, bilateral inflammation, or uveitis occurring in the setting of systemic involvement may require oral or intravenous administration of corticosteroids. Noncorticosteroid immunosuppressive agents play an important role in limiting the toxic effects of long-term corticosteroid use.     

Intravitreal Dexamethasone for the Treatment of CMO Associated with Refractory Sclerouveitis

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of intravitreal dexamethasone 0.7 mg sustained-release insert (Ozurdex^®) in patients with sclerouveitis and recurrent cystoid macula edema (CMO) refractory to treatment.Methods: Interventional retrospective case series of five patients receiving 13 intravitreal dexamethasone inserts.Results: Three of five patients presented with an associated systemic disorder, whereas two patients had idiopathic sclerouveitis. All patients received immunosuppressive therapy. The CRT mean (SD) decreased in all eyes from 428 μm (137) (baseline) to 327 μm (149) (1 month), 342 μm (155) (3 months), 297 μm (99) (6 months) and reduced scleral inflammation. No morphologic adverse changes were noted, in particular, no scleral melting or necrosis occurred.Conclusions: Intravitreal dexamethasone may be an effective and safe therapeutic option in sclerouveitis with otherwise treatment-resistant CMO. It resolves not only CMO, but also provides a reduction of scleral inflammation and ocular pain. Nonetheless, adequate immunosuppressive treatment of an underlying disease must ensue.     

Long-term efficacy of dexamethasone intravitreal implant in the treatment of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease relapsing posterior uveitis

Purpose:To investigate the efficacy and safety of dexamethasone intravitreal implant in the treatment of relapsing posterior uveitis in patients with chronic recurrent Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) disease.Methods: This was a prospective study of 29 eyes of 16 patients with posterior uveitis in chronic recurrent VKH disease. All patients received previous systemic steroid and immunosuppressive regimens. All patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). All patients underwent intravitreal injection with sustained-release dexamethasone 0.7 mg implant (Ozurdex®). Primary outcome measures included mean change in BCVA and central foveal thickness (CFT) at 24 months of follow-up compared to the baseline.Results: At 24 month of follow-up, the mean BCVA improved from 0.82 ± 0.13 to 0.38 ± 0.06 logMAR (P < 0.0001). The mean CFT reduced from 505 ± 29 to 244 ± 23 um (P < 0.0001). The mean intraocular pressure (IOP) changed from 15.1 ± 2.2 to 16.9 ± 3.1 mmHg with no significant value (P-value = 0.0955). Twenty-one eyes (72.4%) received one injection, whereas eight eyes (27.6%) required two injections. The mean number of injections was 1.2 ± 0.60. The mean follow-up time was 24.75 ± 0.9 months. No serious ocular or systemic adverse events were noted during the follow-up period. Ocular hypertension was recorded in three (10.3%) eyes and controlled by IOP lowering medications. Cataract progression occurred in 11 (37.9%) eyes.Conclusion: Our cohort highlights the beneficial effects of the dexamethasone implant of 0.7 mg in the treatment of VKH disease relapsing posterior uveitis improving visual acuity, reducing macular edema, and minimizing the burden of systemic steroids in this sample study.     

Pseudomonas aeruginosa endophthalmitis masquerading as chronic uveitis

A 65-year-old male presented with decreased vision in the left eye of 15-day duration after having undergone an uneventful cataract surgery 10 months back. He had been previously treated with systemic steroids for recurrent uveitis postoperatively on three occasions in the same eye. B-scan ultrasonography showed multiple clumplike echoes suggestive of vitreous inflammation. Aqueous tap revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa sensitive to ciprofloxacin. The patient was treated with intravitreal ciprofloxacin and vancomycin along with systemic ciprofloxacin with good clinical response. Even a virulent organism such as P.aeruginosa can present as a chronic uveitis, which, if missed, can lead to a delay in accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.     

New therapies in development for the management of non‐infectious uveitis: A review

Uveitis is a spectrum of inflammatory disorders characterized by ocular inflammation and is one of the leading causes of preventable visual loss. The main aim of the treatment of uveitis is to control the inflammation, prevent recurrences of the disease and preserve vision while minimizing the adverse effects associated with the therapeutic agents. Initial management of uveitis relies heavily on the use of corticosteroids. However, monotherapy with high‐dose corticosteroids is associated with side effects and cannot be maintained long term. Therefore, steroid‐sparing agents are needed to decrease the burden of steroid therapy. Currently, the therapeutic approach for non‐infectious uveitis (NIU) consists of a step‐ladder strategy with the first‐line option being corticosteroids in various formulations followed by the use of first‐, second‐ and third‐line agents in cases with suboptimal steroid response. Unfortunately, the agents currently at our disposal have limitations such as having a narrow therapeutic window along with their own individual potential side‐effect profiles. Therefore, research has been targeted to identify newer drugs as well as new uses for older drugs that target specific pathways in the inflammatory response. Such efforts are made in order to provide targeted and safer therapy with reduced side effects and greater efficacy. Several specially designed molecular antibodies are currently in various phases of investigations that can potentially halt the inflammation in patients with NIU. In the review, we have provided a comprehensive overview of the current and upcoming therapeutic options for patients with NIU.     

Topical diclofenac sodium,dexamethasone and placebo compared in a model of immunogenic uveitis in rabbits

Unacceptable side effects involved in topical steroid usage for uveitis have prompted the search for alternative antiinflammatory drugs for the treatment of ocular inflammation. Cyclooxygenase inhibitors have been widely used for systemic inflammatory conditions over the last two decades and are therefore natural candidates to be studied for uveitis therapy. Previous studies of cyclooxygenase inhibitors in uveitis models yielded inconclusive and sometimes contradicting results. The authors compared the clinical effect of topical dexamethasone, diclofenac and placebo in an immunogenic uveitis model produced in ovalbumin immunized NZW rabbits challenged with ovalbumin in the vitreous. Nine clinical parameters of inflammation were compared employing a double blind placebo controlled protocol. Three groups of 16 eyes each, were assigned for each preparation and were followed for nine days with biomicroscopic examinations. Diclofenac was superior or equal to dexamethasone for iris hyperemia (p=0.059) and conjunctival injection (p=0.02), equal for corneal haziness and AC fibrin, yet inferior for corneal endothelial debris, iris fibrin and AC cells and flare (p<0.05). Placebo was inferior (p<0.05) to the other groups for the above mentioned parameters excluding fibrin precipitation on the iris that was greater in diclofenac treated eyes. While some clinical criteria of inflammation responded better to steroids than to diclofenac, the results of this study show that others responded better or equal to diclofenac. The authors hypothesize that although diclofenac reduces prostaglandin levels it may induce high levels of leukotrienes that maintain cellular exudation.     

Interferon-gamma release assays in tuberculous uveitis: a comprehensive review

Tuberculous uveitis (TBU) comprises a broad clinical spectrum of ocular manifestations, making its diagnosis challenging. Ophthalmologists usually require evidence from investigations to confirm or support a clinical diagnosis of TBU. Since direct isolation of the causative organism from ocular specimens has limitations owing to the small volume of the ocular specimens, resultant test positivities are low in yield. Immunodiagnostic tests, including the tuberculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs), can help support a clinical diagnosis of TBU. Unlike the tuberculin skin test, IGRAs are in vitro tests that require a single visit and are not affected by prior Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccination. Currently, available IGRAs consist of different techniques and interpretation methods. Moreover, newer generations have been developed to improve the sensitivity and ability to detect active tuberculosis. This narrative review collates salient practice points as a reference for general ophthalmologists, such as evidence for the utilization of IGRAs in patients with suspected TBU, and summarizes basic knowledge and details of clinical applications of these tests in a clinical setting.     

Syphilitic uveitis: a review of clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes of syphilitic uveitis in human immunodeficiency virus‐positive and negative patients

The incidence of syphilis and syphilitic uveitis in our community is increasing. The prevalence of associated neurosyphilis is unknown, and it remains unclear whether syphilitic uveitis should be treated as secondary syphilis with intramuscular penicillin or neurosyphilis with intravenous penicillin. The (English language) literature was reviewed for all unique cases of syphilitic uveitis reported from 1984 to June 2008. For each case the following data were recorded: the clinical features of the syphilis, the uveitis and any associated neurosyphilis, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, lumbar puncture findings, treatment and follow up. We identified 143 patients in 41 original reports of syphilitic uveitis (93 HIV‐positive and 50 HIV‐negative). Posterior uveitis was reported in 79 patients (55.2%); panuveitis was reported in 36 patients (25.2%); anterior/intermediate uveitis was reported in only 28 patients (19.6%). Lumbar puncture findings were abnormal in 82 patients (57%), and the majority of these patients (76%, 62 out of 82) were HIV‐positive. One hundred and ten (77%) patients were treated with intravenous therapy, usually penicillin. Most recovered from the syphilis, however, a proportion did not recover full vision. There were 13 (9%) treatment failures, which tended to occur in patients who were HIV‐positive (n = 11), had abnormal lumbar puncture findings (n = 8) and/or were treated (n = 11) intravenously. There is a high incidence of abnormal lumbar puncture findings in patients with syphilitic uveitis and a strong association with HIV infection. Most received appropriate therapy with a low relapse rate, which was not related to the type of therapy.