title: Treatment Results in Serpiginous Choroiditis and Multifocal Serpiginoid Choroiditis Associated with Latent Tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the results of systemic antitubercular therapy (ATT) and immunomodulatory therapy (IMT) in patients with serpiginous choroiditis (SC) or multifocal serpiginoid choroiditis (MSC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical records of 28 patients with SC and MSC were reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the treatment applied. Group 1 included 12 patients with MSC and 5 with SC treated with ATT and corticosteroid (CS); group 2 included 9 patients with MSC and 2 with SC treated with conventional IMT, interferon alpha-2a, and/or CS monotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In group 1, clinical remission was achieved in 12/12 MSC and 3/5 SC (total 15/17) patients with administration of ATT for 1 year. Two patients (1 SC, 1 MSC) had reactivation 2 and 7 months after cessation of ATT. Two patients with recurrence after completion of ATT and 2 patients resistant to ATT received IMT ± CS therapy. In group 2, clinical remission was achieved in 7/9 MSC and 2/2 SC (total 9/11) patients after 1 year of treatment. Recurrent inflammation was observed in 2 MSC patients 2 and 112 months after initiation of therapy, but responded well to local/systemic CS or IMT modification, and clinical remission was achieved in 7.8±4.3 months. Cumulative dose of CS was higher in group 2 (p=0.057). Nine of 12 MSC patients treated with ATT and 4/9 MSC patients treated with IMT achieved remission (p=0.203). One of 5 SC patients treated with ATT and 2/2 SC patients treated with IMT achieved remission (p=0.142).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although a statistically significant result could not be achieved in this small case series, our results suggest that ATT may be an appropriate first choice in the treatment of MSC associated with latent tuberculosis, and may be administered in patients with SC who are unresponsive to IMT.
authors.affiliation: İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Merih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oray
authors.affiliation: İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zaur
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zakiev
authors.affiliation: İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tülin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Çağatay
authors.affiliation: İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: İlknur
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Tuğal-Tutkun
keywords: Serpiginous choroiditis; anti tubercular therapy; immunomodulatory treatment; latent tuberculosis; multifocal serpiginoid choroiditis