Role of anti-tubercular therapy in uveitis with latent/manifest tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the role of anti-tubercular therapy in uveitis with latent/manifest tuberculosis (TB).


METHODS
Retrospective, interventional case series.


METHODS
A total of 360 patients from uveitis clinic with following inclusion criteria were studied: 1) complete clinical records of visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination, intraocular pressure, complications if any, and treatment records at the baseline and at all follow-up visits; 2) a documented positive tuberculin skin test (10 mm of induration or more) at 48 to 72 hours; 3) evidence of active uveitis, i.e., cellular reaction in the anterior chamber with or without keratic precipitates, and/or active vitreous inflammation, retinal vasculitis, choroiditis, or neuroretinitis; 4) all known causes of infectious uveitis except TB and known noninfectious uveitic syndromes ruled out; and 5) a minimum one year of follow-up from the initiation of treatment. Of these, 216 patients (Group A) received four-drug anti-tubercular therapy and corticosteroids, and 144 patients (Group B) received corticosteroids alone. The main outcome measure was recurrence of inflammation after minimum six months of initiating treatment in each group.


RESULTS
Recurrences reduced significantly (P < .001) in Group A (15.74%) as compared to Group B (46.53%) over a median follow-up of 24 and 31 months, respectively. The patients treated with anti-tubercular therapy with corticosteroids had decreased risk of developing recurrence of uveitis by approximately two-thirds as compared to those treated with corticosteroids alone.


CONCLUSIONS
Addition of anti-tubercular therapy to corticosteroids in uveitis patients with latent/manifest TB led to significant reduction in recurrences of uveitis.
Bansal
Reema
R
Advanced Eye Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Gupta
Amod
A
Gupta
Vishali
V
Dogra
Mangat Ram
MR
Bambery
Pradeep
P
Arora
Sunil Kumar
SK
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014392:Tuberculosis, Ocular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014605:Uveitis / Q000382:microbiology*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000995:Antitubercular Agents