Clinical outcome of chronic immunosuppression in patients with non-infectious uveitis

Aim: To determine the visual outcome and corticosteroid dose requirement in patients with non‐infectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment treated with corticosteroids and additional second‐line immunosuppression. Method: A retrospective, non‐comparative case series was carried out. Seventy‐two patients (141 eyes) with uncontrolled non‐infectious uveitis on systemic prednisolone were treated with at least one second‐line immunosuppressive agent in addition to systemic prednisolone and followed for at least 3 months. Visual acuity (VA), clinical disease activity, corticosteroid‐sparing effect, disease relapses requiring corticosteroid dose increase, and side‐effects from second‐line agents were evaluated. Results: At the end of the follow‐up period (mean: 55.5 months), 70 eyes (49.6%) had VA of 6/9 or better. There was a reduction in the mean maintenance dose of prednisolone required before the introduction of the second‐line agent (19 mg/day ± 2 SE) when compared to the mean maintenance dose of prednisolone at the end of the data collection (9 mg/day ± 1 SE; P