Adalimumab Therapy Reduces Treatment Burden in Multifocal Choroiditis/Punctate Inner Choroidopathy

This study aims to demonstrate the efficacy of adalimumab (ADA) in reducing overall treatment burden in a cohort of patients with idiopathic multifocal choroiditis (MFC)/punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC).

This is a retrospective case series of eyes classified as having idiopathic MFC/PIC using standard multi-modal imaging, including color fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. LogMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), doses of prednisone and other immunomodulatory therapies (IMT), injections of corticosteroids or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), and breakthrough flares were collected at baseline (initiation of ADA), 12 months from baseline, and last follow-up.

Twenty-five patients (21 females, 41 eyes) were included. Mean follow-up time was 51.4 ± 35.2 months (range 9.2-126.6). Mean LogMAR BCVA was 0.35 ± 0.48 at baseline and 0.34 ± 0.55 at last follow-up (p > 0.5). Mean prednisone dosage decreased significantly from 15.76 ± 18.69 mg/day at baseline to 0.23 ± 1.1 mg/day at the last follow-up (p < 0.0001). Thirty eyes received steroid or anti-VEGF injections at baseline; this decreased to one at the last follow-up (p < 0.0001). Similarly, eight patients received other IMT at baseline, but only one continued to receive supplemental IMT at the last follow-up (p < 0.05) at a decreased dosage. Six patients experienced disease flare-up within the first 12 months of treatment, and three patients flared between 12 months and last follow-up.

Adalimumab therapy demonstrated a significant steroid-sparing effect in addition to vision preservation and reduction in both anti-VEGF injections and IMT.