Analysis of a Novel Protocol of Pulsed Intravenous Cyclophosphamide for Recalcitrant or Severe Ocular Inflammatory Disease

Purpose To analyze the success rate of pulsed intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide (CyP) for noninfectious ocular inflammatory disease and to identify risk factors for failure of therapy. Design Retrospective, interventional, noncomparative cohort study. Participants One hundred ten eyes of 65 patients. Methods Through a computer search of the Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution’s database, we identified patients who were treated with IV CyP between May 2005 and April 2012. We obtained demographic and clinical information through review of the electronic health record of each patient. Main Outcomes Measures Clinical response, corticosteroid-sparing effect, recurrence rate, calculated “risk factors” for failure, visual acuity, and adverse reactions. Results Pulsed IV CyP achieved complete remission of inflammation (for ≥2 visits) in 54 patients (84.4%). Sustained remission of inflammation occurred in 70% of patients within 3 months, 86.6% of patients within 6 months, and 91.7% within 9 months. The mean time to achieving quiescence was 3.5 months. The success rate in reducing corticosteroid to prednisone ≤10 mg/d within 6 months, while maintaining control of ocular inflammation, was 89.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 81.1–93.5%). The mean duration of clinical remission for those patients who had a positive response to CyP was 32.67 months (95% CI, 25.91–39.43). Relapse of vasculitis was observed in 1 patient (1.5%) after completing the course of therapy. Early initiation of therapy during the course of the disease was correlated with a lesser rate of recurrence ( P = 0.028). The most common adverse effects were nausea (29%) and transient lymphopenia (26%). The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 0.59±0.66 at baseline to 0.30±0.54 at 6 months of follow-up ( P