[Familial recurrent bilateral panuveitis: efficiency of alpha interferon].
BACKGROUND
There is no consensus for the treatment of severe recurrent uveitis. Immunosuppressive drugs have inconstant efficiency and may result in serious adverse effects. We report the cases of two brothers suffering from severe recurrent idiopathic panuveitis dramatically improved following alpha interferon therapy.


METHODS
Two 28 and 32 years old brothers presented with an idiopathic recurrent panuveitis for 4 and 5 years respectively. They both had a HLA B5 haplotype. However they had no clinical symptoms of Behçet's disease. In both cases panuveitis recurred three or four times yearly despite corticosteroid and cyclosporin therapies. The treatment with alpha interferon improved visual acuity in both cases. The older brother had no recurrence throughout the period of treatment and after a 1 year follow-up. The other one was improved and the ocular lesions have been stabilised for nine months follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
- Alpha interferon therapy seems efficient in severe idiopathic panuveitis. This treatment is well tolerated without ophthalmologic adverse effects. The optimal posology and the duration of treatment need to be determined.
Lesire
V
V
Service de médecine interne, CHU Bretonneau, 37000, Tours, France. vincent.lesire@libertysurf.fr <vincent.lesire@libertysurf.fr>
Arsène
S
S
Piquemal
R
R
Renard
J-P
JP
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D015864:Panuveitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012008:Recurrence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha