Infliximab in the Treatment of Chronic Non–infectious Ocular Inflammation

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of infliximab in the treatment of chronic non–infectious ocular inflammation Methods: Charts of patients with chronic non–infectious ocular inflammation treated with infliximab were reviewed retrospectively Results: Five patients with uveitis and two patients with scleritis treated with infliximab were seen between 2000 and 2004. The mean patient age was 42 years (range: 12–70). Five patients were female. The mean follow–up time was 21.5 months. Ocular inflammation was controlled in five patients. Reduction of oral presdnisone was possible in 3 patients. No adverse reactions related to infliximab occurred in the follow–up period. Conclusions: Infliximab can be an effective treatment for non–infectious inflammation, and can allow reduction in the required steroid dose. There were no serious side–effects in this pilot retrospective case series.

Keywords: immunomodulation/immunoregulation • uveitis-clinical/animal model • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications