Early treatment with cyclosporin in serpiginous choroidopathy maintains remission and good visual outcome

AIMS To describe management and clinical outcomes of serpiginous choroidopathy treated primarily with cyclosporin at a tertiary uveitis referral centre METHODS A case series of 14 eyes of seven patients with serpiginous choroidopathy with follow up ranging from 1.3 to 13 years is described. All patients had fundus lesions consistent with serpiginous choroidopathy, were investigated for systemic disease, had fluorescein angiography, and were treated with combined immunosuppressive therapy including cyclosporin. RESULTS No patients suffered significant loss of acuity after starting systemic immunosuppression with cyclosporin as the primary agent. All but one patient achieved remission and were able to stop medications with no recurrences in the follow up period. Side effects from cyclosporin were well tolerated and there were no serious complications from immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS Cyclosporin is a safe and effective option with which to manage serpiginous choroidopathy. Significantly, adequate immunosuppression can result in clinical remission and cessation of therapy in some patients.