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‘Do whatever it takes’ to suppress uveitis, clinician says
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Physicians should “stay in the hunt until you get the job done” when treating a patient with uveitis, according to a speaker here.
“Uveitis is the third cause of blindness in the world,” said C. Stephen Foster, MD, here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
Dr. Foster said uveitis continues to blind people, even 45 years after the introduction of steroid therapy. He said most physicians are not aggressive enough with prescribing immunomodulatory therapy (IMT).
“A huge proportion of the world’s ophthalmologists do not recommend immunomodulatory therapy for their patients who have progressive, immune and inflammatory eye disease. But you should do whatever it takes to suppress uveitis,” Dr. Foster said.
He said uveitis can cause blindness through glaucoma, hypotony and maculopathy. He added that physicians have been misled to believe that IMT causes side effects similar to cancer therapy and that physicians are unaware of the potential benefits of IMT.
Dr. Foster said residents must be instructed about the relative safety of immunosuppressive medication for uveitis. He cited the American Uveitis Society Consensus Panel on Immunosuppression for Ocular Inflammatory Disorders, which showed “good evidence” for the effectiveness of steroids and the need for immunosuppression. He added the further study is warranted.