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The following is a summary of “Treatment exit options for non-infectious uveitis registry: participant characteristics at 3 years,” published in the June 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Fink et al.

The Treatment exit Options For non-infectious Uveitis (TOFU) registry documents disease courses for non-anterior non-infectious uveitis entities with and without treatment. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to generate evidence and guide clinical management recommendations, including treatment exit strategies.

They recruited patients with non-anterior, non-infectious uveitis who were 18 or older to the TOFU registry. A previous history of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) treatment was also noted. Using REDCap, information on eye and medical history, along with clinical findings, were collected. 

The results showed that between October 24, 2019, and December 27, 2022, 628 patients joined from 25 clinical sites. Most had intermediate uveitis (40.1%, n=252), followed by posterior uveitis (28.8%, n=181), panuveitis (24.5%, n=154), and retinal vasculitis (6.5%, n=41). About 39.6% were on systemic corticosteroids at baseline, 22.3% with conventional synthetic (cs) DMARDs, 20.5% with biological (b) DMARDs, and 3.6% with other systemic treatments. Average best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.69 decimal. The worst NCVA was observed in patients with panuveitis (0.63 decimal). Only 8 patients had severe visual impairment. 

Investigators concluded that fewer than half of the participants needed DMARD treatment at the start, mostly opting for csDMARDs over bDMARDs. Severe visual impairment was rare, especially among those with panuveitis.

Source: bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2024/06/10/bjo-2023-324927