Original Article

Efficacy and Safety of Cyclosporine A in the Treatment of Behçet Uveitis - Original Article

  • Mehmet Tetikoğlu
  • Osman Erdokur
  • Abdulbaki Mudun
  • Yavuz Tunç
  • Mustafa Nuri Elçioğlu

Received Date: 08.02.2008 Accepted Date: 20.06.2008 Turk J Ophthalmol 2008;38(5):389-392

Purpose:

To evaluate effectiveness of cyclosporine A on ocular attacks and visual acuity in Behçet uveitis.

Material and Metods:

This study was carried out at the Uveitis and Behçet Disease Department of Okmeydani Education and Training Hospital through January 1998 to March 2007. We evaluated fifty patient retrospectively who diagnosed as Behçet disease according to International Study Group of Behçet Disease with CsA therapy. All patients underwent comple-te systemic and ophthalmological examination. Changes in Best-Correct Visual Acuity (BCVA), frequency of the ocular attacks were criteria for good response to the therapy.

Results:

Before the CsA therapy average number of attack per patient was 3.5 attacks in a year. While taking CsA therapy it was 1.3 attacks in a year. During the period of CsA therapy, beside BCVA of 71,8% of patients increased or not changed, BCVA of %28,2 of patients decre-ased. 16 (%32) of patients had more than 2 attacks in 6 months, so that we changed or combi-ned CsA with another immunosuppressive drug. 27 (%54) of patients had no severe or frequent attacks, so they continued only with CsA therapy. 7 (%14) of patients had to stopped therapy due to side effects of CsA.

Conclusion:

In most of cases CsA have a significant effect on decreasing frequency of ac-tivation of uveitis and can be used safely without serious side effects in Behcet's disease. It is also effective to keep vision acuity in most of the cases. It is not effective alone in about one third of cases, and sometimes especially gastrointestinal side effects restrict the use of the drug.

Keywords: Behcet üveitis, Cyclosporine A

Full Text (Turkish)