TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term follow-up of patients treated with multiple fluocinolone acetonide implants for noninfectious uveitis
AU - Allen, Rebekah C.
AU - Suhler, Eric B.
AU - Flaxel, Christina J.
AU - Chen, Zunqiu
AU - Choi, Dongseok
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This study was supported, in part, by a grant to Casey Eye Institute from Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, NY, National Eye Institute Grant EY010572 and a grant from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (EBS). None of the authors has any conflict of interest including any commercial, financial or proprietary interest in this research.
PY - 2012/12
Y1 - 2012/12
N2 - Purpose: To evaluate long-term outcomes in eyes undergoing exchange of fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implants for noninfectious uveitis. Methods: In this retrospective case series, chart review was conducted of all patients treated for noninfectious uveitis with fluocinolone acetonide implants. All patients were seen at a single center between 2007 and 2010. We studied eight eyes of eight patients who received second implants in exchange for previously placed implants and received follow-up care after the implant was exchanged. Main outcome measures were visual acuity (VA), recurrence of inflammation, need for adjunctive systemic anti-inflammatory treatment and adverse events. Results: We studied eight eyes of eight patients. Average length of follow-up after the second implant was 32. 3 months. Of the eight patients, five experienced improvement or stabilization of VA when acuity prior to the initial implant was compared to acuity on long-term follow-up. After their first implant, five patients experienced disease recurrence. Including all eight patients, the estimated median time to recurrence was 35.7 months after the first implant. The mean time to reimplantation was 42.7 months. After the second implant, three patients experienced recurrence. Including all eight patients, the estimated median time to recurrence was 30.1 months after the second implant. Adverse events included perioperative complications, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and cataracts. Conclusions: Exchanging FA intravitreal implants used to treat noninfectious uveitis may be useful in preventing vision loss and recurrence of inflammation. Development of elevated IOP and cataract is a potentially serious complication. The risks and benefits of implant exchange must be carefully considered with this intervention.
AB - Purpose: To evaluate long-term outcomes in eyes undergoing exchange of fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implants for noninfectious uveitis. Methods: In this retrospective case series, chart review was conducted of all patients treated for noninfectious uveitis with fluocinolone acetonide implants. All patients were seen at a single center between 2007 and 2010. We studied eight eyes of eight patients who received second implants in exchange for previously placed implants and received follow-up care after the implant was exchanged. Main outcome measures were visual acuity (VA), recurrence of inflammation, need for adjunctive systemic anti-inflammatory treatment and adverse events. Results: We studied eight eyes of eight patients. Average length of follow-up after the second implant was 32. 3 months. Of the eight patients, five experienced improvement or stabilization of VA when acuity prior to the initial implant was compared to acuity on long-term follow-up. After their first implant, five patients experienced disease recurrence. Including all eight patients, the estimated median time to recurrence was 35.7 months after the first implant. The mean time to reimplantation was 42.7 months. After the second implant, three patients experienced recurrence. Including all eight patients, the estimated median time to recurrence was 30.1 months after the second implant. Adverse events included perioperative complications, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and cataracts. Conclusions: Exchanging FA intravitreal implants used to treat noninfectious uveitis may be useful in preventing vision loss and recurrence of inflammation. Development of elevated IOP and cataract is a potentially serious complication. The risks and benefits of implant exchange must be carefully considered with this intervention.
KW - Anti-inflammatory agents
KW - Drug implants
KW - Fluocinolone acetonide
KW - Uveitis/drug therapy
KW - Visual acuity/drug effects
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84869772577&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84869772577&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12348-012-0064-z
DO - 10.1007/s12348-012-0064-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 22411457
AN - SCOPUS:84869772577
SN - 1869-5760
VL - 2
SP - 177
EP - 182
JO - Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection
JF - Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection
IS - 4
ER -