title: High-dose intravenous corticosteroids for ocular inflammatory diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness and risk of complications of high-dose intravenous pulsed corticosteroids for noninfectious ocular inflammatory diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study in which 104 eyes of 70 patients who received high-dose intravenous corticosteroids for treatment of active ocular inflammation were identified from five centers. The main outcome measures were control of inflammation and occurrence of ocular or systemic complications within 1 month after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within ≤1 month of starting treatment, 57% of eyes achieved complete control of inflammation (95% confidence interval (CI): 33-83%), improving to 82% when near-complete control was included (95% CI: 61-96%). Most eyes (85%; 95% CI: 70-95%) gained clinically significant improvement in anterior chamber inflammation. One patient developed a colon perforation during treatment. No other major complications were recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of ocular inflammation with high-dose intravenous corticosteroids resulted in substantial clinical improvement for most cases within 1 month. Complications of therapy were infrequent.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Leon D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Charkoudian
authors.forename: Gui-shuang
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Siddharth S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pujari
authors.forename: Sapna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gangaputra
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Thorne
authors.forename: C Stephen
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Jabs
authors.forename: Grace A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Levy-Clarke
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Nussenblatt
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.forename: Eric B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Suhler
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kempen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015423:Scleritis / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014605:Uveitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones