Thalidomide effectiveness for bilateral chronic idiopathic anterior uveitis in a three-year-old child

The authors report their experience with thalidomide in the treatment of a bilateral chronic idiopathic uveitis, in a 3-year-old female. This case was complicated by the presence of a cataract and an iris neovascularization in the right eye; furthermore it was partially unresponsive to a conventional anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapy. Oral thalidomide induced slow but dramatic regression of the inflammation, and a significant reabsorption of neovascular tufts, both in slitlamp examination and on iris fluorescein angiography. The authors emphasize the efficacy of thalidomide as anti-inflammatory agent and as inhibitor of neoangiogenesis, reporting the recent literature about the use of this drug in ophthalmology.