Therapy of ocular Behçet disease

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Rheumatology
• Immunology

Background:

• Ocular involvement in Behçet disease (BD) presents as recurrent inflammatory attacks.
• Uveitis frequency and severity dictate irreversible intraocular damage and visual prognosis.
• Occlusive retinal vasculitis in BD can cause vision-threatening complications like macular edema and optic atrophy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update the management of Behçet disease (BD) ocular involvement.
• To review the efficacy of various drugs, including corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics.
• To summarize recent findings on novel biologics and their role in pediatric BD.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on drug management for ocular BD.
• Discussion of corticosteroids, disease-modifying immunosuppressive drugs (DMARDs).
• Analysis of biological therapies, including anti-TNF agents and alpha interferon, and emerging treatments.

Main Results:

• Biologicals, particularly anti-TNF agents, demonstrate superiority in preventing vision loss compared to other treatments.
• Biological therapies show promise in managing severe retinal involvement in BD.
• Recent findings highlight the effectiveness of new biologics, with specific attention to pediatric cases.

Conclusions:

• Biological therapies are crucial for managing moderate to severe ocular Behçet disease.
• Early and aggressive treatment with biologics is recommended to preserve vision.
• Further research into novel biologics is warranted, especially for pediatric BD management.