Local, systemic therapies expand options for uveitis treatment
KOLOA, Hawaii — Local steroid therapy can be beneficial for less severe uveitis, short-term uveitis and uveitic macular edema, according to a speaker here.
“There are lots of ways to now treat noninfectious uveitis and uveitic macular edema, both local and systemic,” Lucia Sobrin, MD, MPH, said at Hawaiian Eye 2023. “We’re catching up to retina a little bit, and we have a lot of clinical trials recently for noninfectious uveitis. We’re learning more and more about what works and what doesn’t.”
There are several formulations and delivery methods for steroid therapy currently available, Sobrin said, noting that long-term steroid therapy, local or systemic, is a poor option for chronic recurrent uveitis.
Ophthalmologists should be wary of an overreliance on local steroids, particularly shorter-acting formulations. Intermittent treatment of chronic uveitis with steroids may cause damage to accumulate over time, so initiation of steroid-sparing immunosuppressive therapy in the early stages of the condition is key for preserving visual function.
Immunomodulatory therapy is safe and effective, Sobrin said, and biologic therapies are now being used more often. Overall, systemic medications are safe in uveitis treatment.
“When my patients inevitably ask, ‘This new drug you want to start me on, is it safe?’ I can confidently say that it is safe,” she said.
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Sobrin L. Update on the uveitis treatment landscape. Presented at: Hawaiian Eye 2023; Jan. 14-20, 2023; Koloa, Hawaii.
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