We describe eight patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-related chronic uveitis, who received a fluocinolone acetonide implant (FAI, Retisert®, Bausch&Lomb) in one eye. All patients had poor visual acuity (VA) due to persistent macular oedema in one or both eyes despite treatment with antirheumatic medication.
Median age of the patients was 22.9 years (range, 14.1-39.7) and duration of uveitis 13.0 years (range, 6.8-28.4) at FAI implantation. Median preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.1 (range, 0.05-0.4) and Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature, SUN-grade was SUN 2+ (range, 0.5-4.0). All patients had been treated extensively with systemic corticosteroids and antirheumatic drugs by the time of FAI implantation. The median follow-up time was 5.3 years (range, 4.4-6.3).
Macular edema resolved in a median time of 0.2 years (range, 0.04-0.39) after the FAI implantation. The median BCVA was 0.5-0.63 (range, 0.1-1.0) from 1 to 5 years of follow-up. Macular edema did not recur in 5 eyes after the implantation. In three eyes, the macular oedema relapsed at 2.7, 2.9 and 5.5 years of follow-up. All our patients needed antirheumatic drugs in addition to the FAI to treat their macular edema. During the follow-up, 7 eyes required further intraocular operations: 4 cataract operations, 4 intraocular pressure -lowering operations and 1 retinal detachment surgery were performed.
Fluocinolone acetonide implant is a valuable option in the treatment of persistent macular edema associated with JIA-related uveitis refractory to systemic treatments.