Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy and recurrent acute anterior uveitis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy in the prevention of recurrences of uveitis in patients with recurrent nongranulomatous, idiopathic, or HLA-B27-associated acute anterior uveitis (AAU).


METHODS
Retrospective case series of 59 patients with recurrent AAU treated with celecoxib or diflunisal.


RESULTS
The average duration of NSAID therapy was 21.2 +/- 5.7 months. The average number of relapses for all patients prior to systemic NSAID therapy was 2.84 per person-year follow-up. These relapses declined to 0.53 per person-year follow-up with NSAID therapy (p < .001). The relapse rates prior to and after treatment in the HLA-B27-positive group (n = 21) were compared with the relapse rates prior to and after treatment in the HLA-B27-negative group (n = 38) and were also statistically significant (p < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Morbid attacks and the cumulative exposure to corticosteroids can be prevented with systemic NSAID therapy in patients with recurrent AAU.
Fiorelli
Vanessa M B
VM
Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
Bhat
Pooja
P
Foster
C Stephen
CS
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068579:Celecoxib; D004061:Diflunisal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D011720:Pyrazoles; D013449:Sulfonamides; D004061:Diflunisal; D000068579:Celecoxib