Granulomatous anterior uveitis associated with 0.2% topical brimonidine

The Infectious Uveitis Treatment Algorithm Network (TITAN) Report 2-global current practice patterns for the management of Cytomegalovirus anterior uveitis

AIMS

To present current practice patterns in the diagnosis and management of Cytomegalovirus anterior uveitis (CMV AU) by uveitis experts worldwide.

METHODS

A two-round modified Delphi survey with masking of the study team was performed. Based on experience and expertise, 100 international uveitis specialists from 21 countries were invited to participate in the survey. Variation in the diagnostic approaches and preferred management of CMV AU was captured using an online survey platform.

RESULTS

Seventy-five experts completed both surveys. Fifty-five of the 75 experts (73.3%) would always perform diagnostic aqueous tap in suspected CMV AU cases. Consensus was achieved for starting topical antiviral treatment (85% of experts). About half of the experts (48%) would only commence systemic antiviral treatment for severe, prolonged, or atypical presentation. The preferred specific route was ganciclovir gel 0.15% for topical treatment (selected by 70% of experts) and oral valganciclovir for systemic treatment (78% of experts). The majority of experts (77%) would commence treatment with topical corticosteroid four times daily for one to two weeks along with antiviral coverage, with subsequent adjustment depending on the clinical response. Prednisolone acetate 1% was the drug of choice (opted by 70% of experts). Long-term maintenance treatment (up to 12 months) can be considered for chronic course of inflammation (88% of experts) and those with at least 2 episodes of CMV AU within a year (75-88% of experts).

CONCLUSIONS

Preferred management practices for CMV AU vary widely. Further research is necessary to refine diagnosis and management and provide higher-level evidence.

Topical Anti-Inflammatory Agents for Non-Infectious Uveitis: Current Treatment and Perspectives

Non-infectious uveitis represents a heterogenous group of immune-mediated ocular diseases, which can be associated with underlying systemic disease. While the initial choice of treatment of non-infectious uveitis depends on a number of factors such as anatomical location and degree of inflammation, topical therapies often remain the initial choice of non-invasive therapy. In this narrative review, we aim to describe the literature on non-infectious uveitis, with specific focus on the current perspective on topical anti-inflammatory therapy.

Brimonidine-associated uveitis - a descriptive case series

Background

Anterior uveitis secondary to topical brimonidine administration is rare and not well-defined. In glaucoma patients using brimonidine, one must consider this phenomenon to avoid mis-diagnosis and over-treatment with topical steroids which in turn may increase intraocular pressure (IOP). This is the largest case series including the longest patient follow-up in the current literature.

Methods

Sixteen patients (26 eyes) with consultant diagnosed brimonidine-associated anterior uveitis in a tertiary referral glaucoma clinic presenting between 2015 and 2019 were included in this retrospective case series. Clinical records were taken for descriptive analysis. Main outcome measures were the key clinical features, and disease course (therapy, IOP control, patient outcome).

Results

Key features were conjunctival ciliary injection and mutton fat keratic precipitation in all eyes. The findings were bilateral in 10 patients. Time between initiation of brimonidine treatment and presentation was 1 week to 49 months. Glaucoma sub-types were mostly pseudo-exfoliative and primary open angle glaucoma. Brimonidine treatment was stopped immediately. Additionally, topical corticosteroids were prescribed in 18 eyes and tapered down during the following 4 weeks. Thirteen eyes did not need surgical or laser treatment (median follow-up time 15 months). No patient showed recurrence of inflammation after cessation of brimonidine.

Conclusions

This type of anterior uveitis is an uncommon but important manifestation which should always be considered in glaucoma patients on brimonidine treatment. Although treatable at its root cause, problems may persist, especially with respect to IOP control. The latter may necessitate glaucoma surgery after the resolved episode of the uveitis.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-020-01762-w.

Histopathologic Analysis of Conjunctival Lymphoproliferative Disease After Topical Brimonidine Use

Purpose: To describe of histopathological findings of conjunctival lymphoproliferative disease (CLD) after topical brimonidine use. Methods: This is a retrospective medical record review study, including histopathologic description. We reviewed the medical records of 208 patients (415 eyes) who were diagnosed with glaucoma and who were treated with topical brimonidine only for a minimum of 6 months. Of these, the medical records of 19 patients with suspected CLD clinical features were reviewed in detail. When CLD was suspected due to administration of brimonidine, histopathological analysis was performed by biopsy of these lesions. In addition, immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze lymphocyte markers in some pathological tissues. Results: Nineteen patients had suspected CLD without definite irritative symptoms. Diffuse elevated (11 patients) or follicular lesion (8 patients) of salmon pink appearance was observed in inferior palpebral conjunctiva. Among these patients, 5 patients who agreed to conjunctival biopsy had histopathological findings of CLD such as reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (LH) (2 cases) or atypical LH (2 cases). The mean duration of brimonidine use was 29.00 ± 20.25 months (6-76 months). And follow-up period after discontinuation of brimonidine was 27.93 ± 11.87 months (12-58 months). At the last visit, complete resolution of the lesion was seen in 13 patients, and partial improvement was observed in 6 patients. Conclusions: We found 4 cases of CLD following long-term administration of brimonidine. However, large-scale additional studies should be performed to establish causality, to determine whether these novel side effects were caused by long-term brimonidine treatment.

Clinical Features of CMV-Associated Anterior Uveitis

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) anterior uveitis is the most common ocular manifestation of CMV disease in immunocompetent individuals. It is thought to be due to a local reactivation of latent CMV and is usually unilateral. The acute form presents as Posner-Schlossman Syndrome, a recurrent hypertensive anterior uveitis with few granulomatous keratic precipitates. There are geographic differences in the chronic form of CMV anterior uveitis. Asian patients commonly present as Fuchs Uveitis Syndrome with diffuse stellate keratic precipitates, while the European patients present with a chronic hypertensive anterior uveitis with fewer keratic precipitates that are brown in color and located inferiorly. Characteristic features of CMV anterior uveitis include mild anterior chamber inflammation, elevated intraocular pressure, stromal iris atrophy. Synechiae, macular edema and retinitis are typically absent. CMV disease may also be associated with the development of corneal endotheliitis with a reduced endothelial cell count. Long-term complications include glaucomatous optic neuropathy and cataract formation.

Cytomegalovirus as a cause of hypertensive anterior uveitis in immunocompetent patients

Background

The aims of this study are to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with anterior hypertensive uveitis and to compare the characteristics between patients in cytomegalovirus (CMV)-positive and CMV-negative groups in their aqueous humor samples.

Immunocompetent patients (n = 42) with a history of chronic and/or recurrent hypertensive anterior uveitis underwent ophthalmic examination and serological tests. Among the 42 patients with hypertensive anterior uveitis, aqueous humor sampling was performed in 21, and they were analyzed for viral deoxyribonucleic acids using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results

The average age of the 42 patients with hypertensive anterior uveitis was 57.6 years, and 29 (69.0 %) of the subjects were males. Of the patients, 22 (52.4 %) underwent glaucoma surgery, and the average corneal endothelial cell counts were 1908 cells/mm². Among the 21 patients who underwent an aqueous sampling, 6 were positive for CMV-DNA, while 15 were negative. The frequency of glaucoma surgery was similar between groups (CMV positive vs. CMV negative, 66.0 vs. 66.0 %, P = 0.701). However, 66.7 % of the CMV-positive group underwent glaucoma tube shunt surgery, whereas 80 % of the CMV-negative group underwent trabeculectomy or received an ExPRESS glaucoma filtration device (Alcon, Fort Worth, TX) for glaucoma surgery (P = 0.095). The corneal endothelial cell counts were significantly lower in the CMV-positive group (CMV positive vs. CMV negative, 1245 ± 560 vs. 1981 ± 387 cells/mm²; P = 0.009).

Conclusions

CMV was found to be an etiological factor in patients with hypertensive anterior uveitis in Korea. Special caution is needed for patients with CMV-induced hypertensive anterior uveitis, considering its adverse effect on the corneal endothelium.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12348-016-0100-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Drug-induced uveitis

INTRODUCTION

Drug-induced uveitis is a well described but often overlooked and/or misdiagnosed adverse reaction to medication. There are an increasing number of medications that have been related to the onset of intraocular inflammation. Identification of these inciting agents may decisively help the diagnostic algorithm involving new cases of uveitis.

AREAS COVERED

This review intends to be an updated comprehensive, practical guide for practitioners regarding the main drugs that have been associated with uveitis. A classification proposed by Naranjo et al. in 1981 for establishing potential causality is applied examining possible mechanisms of action. A guide for clinicians about the rationale of these observations when dealing with patients with uveitis is provided.

EXPERT OPINION

Several agents with different routes of administration (systemic, topical and/or intraocular) may cause intraocular inflammation. The mechanism behind ocular inflammation is frequently unknown. Clinicians should be aware of the potential drug effect to optimize diagnosis and management of such patients.

Brinzolamide plus brimonidine for the treatment of glaucoma: an update

INTRODUCTION

Glaucoma is a common sight-threatening condition that is primarily treated by lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). Today the mainstay of treatment is topical ocular hypotensive medications; many patients require more than one agent to achieve target IOP. For such patients, fixed combination formulations have several advantages including simplicity of treatment regimen, adherence to the treatment regimen, efficacy, improved ocular surface comfort and reduced cost. All currently available fixed combinations contain a β-blocker, which is contraindicated in some patients. Hence there is a clinical need for fixed-combination preparations without a β-blocker. This paper reviews the current literature on a new fixed-combination drug containing brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.2% (BBFC).

AREAS COVERED

A PubMed, Embase and ClinicalTrials.gov registry search was performed to identify all relevant studies. Four published clinical papers pertaining to three randomized controlled trials were identified for review. All studies demonstrated a significant reduction (p < 0.01) in mean IOP in patients administered with BBFC compared with its individual components, brinzolamide 1% or brimonidine 0.2%. Adverse effects from BBFC were no different from each of the individual components, the most common being blurred vision, eye irritation and dysgeusia (abnormal taste sensation). Although BBFC use was associated with more adverse effects compared with the individual components used as monotherapy (p < 0.001), the cumulative adverse effect profile from BBFC did not appear greater than one would expect from the simultaneous use of the two components.

EXPERT OPINION

BBFC is a potential alternative to other fixed-combination medications and is especially useful when topical β-blockers are contraindicated. Longer-term experience will determine if additional adverse effects occur or if efficacy is maintained over longer periods.

Drug-induced uveitis

A number of medications have been associated with uveitis. This review highlights both well-established and recently reported systemic, topical, intraocular, and vaccine-associated causes of drug-induced uveitis, and assigns a quantitative score to each medication based upon criteria originally described by Naranjo and associates.