title: Interferon alpha-2a treatment for serpiginous choroiditis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the management and long-term outcome of patients with serpiginous choroiditis (SPC) treated with interferon (IFN) alpha-2a.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, non-comparative case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients (8 eyes) with active vision-threatening SPC, who failed to respond and/or presented with side effects to the combination of steroid-cyclosporin-A or chlorambucil, at a tertiary care referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients were treated with IFN alpha-2a (4,500,000 IU, 3 times a week for the first 3 months, followed by once a week for the next 3 months). Prednisone was also given initially, then tapered and discontinued.
  
  
  METHODS
  Visual acuity, control of inflammation, duration of drug-free disease remission, and side effects of IFN alpha-2a therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Argon laser photocoagulation (ALP) was applied in three eyes with extrafoveal choroidal neovascular membrane (CNM). All active lesions, including complicating subfoveal CNM in one eye, resolved within six months. The patients had no recurrences and recovered (4 out of 8; 50%) or maintained (4 out of 8; 50%) useful vision during the 16-48-month follow-up. Except for flu-like symptoms at the beginning of the therapy, no noticeable adverse reaction was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IFN alpha-2a seems to be a novel treatment option for SPC. In the five patients (8 eyes) with SPC, who were intolerant or unresponsive to the combination of steroid-cyclosporin-A or chlorambucil, IFN alpha-2a treatment prevented recurrences and stabilized the lesions during the long-term follow-up (16-48 months). These promising results support the use of this mode of therapy in controlled clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Gülhane Military Medical Academy and Medical School Ankara Turkey.
authors.forename: Güngör
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobaci
authors.forename: Zeki
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bayraktar
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002833:Choroiditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins