Retropective Review of Methotrexate Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic, Noninfectiou, Nonnecrotizing cleriti Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To determine the effectivene and teroid-paring capabilitie of methotrexate in the treatment of chronic, noninfectiou, nonnecrotizing cleriti. Deign Retropective chart review. Method We conducted a retropective chart review of all patient treated for cleriti between January 1, 2000 and July 31, 2005 at the Intitute of Ophthalmology and Viual cience at New Jerey Medical chool of the Univerity of Medicine and Dentitry of New Jerey. Outcome meaure included inflammation, corticoteroid and methotrexate doage, viual acuity, and reported ide effect. Reult Eighteen patient, with a total of 27 affected eye, were included in the tudy: 15 women and three men with a mean age of 52 year. Inflammation control wa achieved in 11 patient, nine women and two men. ucceful corticoteroid paring wa achieved in 10 of the 11 patient, with three patient completely dicontinuing corticoteroid ue. Viual acuity wa maintained or improved in 21 (78%) of 27 affected eye. Eight patient reported advere effect, with one patient dicontinuing treatment becaue of unbearable fatigue. The doe of methotrexate ranged from 7.5 to 35 mg weekly. The mean duration of methotrexate therapy wa 19 month (tandard deviation, 11 month). There were no eriou advere reaction or long-term morbidity caued by methotrexate therapy. Concluion Methotrexate eem to be a well-tolerated therapy that can reduce inflammation uccefully and can decreae the corticoteroid requirement in the treatment of chronic, noninfectiou, and nonnecrotizing cleriti.