Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKHD) is a multisystemic disorder characterized by granulomatous panuveitis variably combined with T cell-mediated neurologic and cutaneous manifestations. Early and aggressive treatment with systemic corticosteroids is the mainstay of treatment for VKHD. Additional use of immunosuppressants, intravenous immunoglobulins, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors can help the most severely affected patients and work as corticosteroid-sparing agents. We report the case of a young woman with relapsing and multiresistant VKHD who demonstrated a stable remission of both uveitis and high-frequency hearing loss following rituximab intravenous administration (1 g. twice, 2 weeks apart, and 6 months later). A complete clinical response was observed 1 month since the first infusion, and no ocular relapses were recorded during the following year; in addition, audiometry showed a high-frequency hearing recovery in the right ear. Further observational studies are required to define the role of CD20 inhibition in the management of VKHD.
Long-lasting uveitis remission and hearing loss recovery after rituximab in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease / Caso, Francesco; Rigante, Donato; Vitale, Antonio; Costa, Luisa; Bascherini, Vittoria; Latronico, Eugenia; Franceschini, Rossella; Cantarini, Luca. - In: CLINICAL RHEUMATOLOGY. - ISSN 0770-3198. - 34:10(2015), pp. 1817-20-1820. [10.1007/s10067-014-2781-1]
Long-lasting uveitis remission and hearing loss recovery after rituximab in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease
CASO, FRANCESCO;COSTA, LUISA;
2015
Abstract
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKHD) is a multisystemic disorder characterized by granulomatous panuveitis variably combined with T cell-mediated neurologic and cutaneous manifestations. Early and aggressive treatment with systemic corticosteroids is the mainstay of treatment for VKHD. Additional use of immunosuppressants, intravenous immunoglobulins, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors can help the most severely affected patients and work as corticosteroid-sparing agents. We report the case of a young woman with relapsing and multiresistant VKHD who demonstrated a stable remission of both uveitis and high-frequency hearing loss following rituximab intravenous administration (1 g. twice, 2 weeks apart, and 6 months later). A complete clinical response was observed 1 month since the first infusion, and no ocular relapses were recorded during the following year; in addition, audiometry showed a high-frequency hearing recovery in the right ear. Further observational studies are required to define the role of CD20 inhibition in the management of VKHD.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
