Visual and Anatomical Outcome Of Ozurdex Implant In Non-Infectious Intermediate Or Posterior Uveitis In Treatment Naive Patients

Abstract

Introduction Uveitis is a common ocular pathology with an annual incidence of approximately 17-52 cases per 100 000 and prevalence of 38-714 per 100 000.1 It can be classified anatomically into anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis. Uveitis can also be divided based on its aetiology into infectious, non-infectious, and masquerade syndromes (neoplastic and drug-induced). The course of uveitis may be defined as acute, recurrent or chronic. Intermediate uveitis and posterior uveitis affect the posterior segment of the eye and are often unresponsive to topical administration of steroids due to less than optimum therapeutic drug penetration beyond the lens. Periocular and subtenon steroids could be effective in treating some patients with uveitis associated cystoid macular edema (CME) but these are associated with higher incidence of complications like cataract, glaucoma, ptosis, globe perforation etc. Long-term systemic corticosteroid therapy is required in patients with an associated systemic disease and in those with bilateral ocular inflammation. Although effective, it is associated with a variety of potentially serious adverse effects such as induction or worsening of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, and adrenal suppression. Macular edema (ME) has been reported to occur in one third of cases of posterior uveitis, which is most often termed as ‘uveitic macular edema’.2 It is due to breakdown of blood retinal barrier and leakage of contents in and around the macula. Ozurdex is a biodegradable intravitreal dexamethasone implant approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of macular edema associated with vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy Delhi J Ophthalmol 2018;28;16-9; Doi; http://dx.doi.org/10.7869/djo.349 Abstract