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Lucia Sobrin, MD; John J. Huang, MD; William Christen, PhD; Chrysanthi Kafkala, MD; Pitipol Choopong, MD; C. Stephen Foster, MD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(2):186-191.

Objective  To report the outcomes for daclizumab in the treatment of birdshot chorioretinopathy (BSCR) refractory to traditional immunomodulatory therapy (IMT).

Methods  We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 8 patients with BSCR whose disease was refractory to or who were intolerant of traditional IMT. All patients received 1 mg/kg of daclizumab intravenously at 2-week intervals initially at 1 referral uveitis practice. Main outcome measures were changes in visual acuity, vitreous inflammation, fluorescein angiographic pathologic features, electroretinography (ERG) parameters, concomitant IMT requirements, and adverse events.

Results  Over a mean follow-up of 25.6 months, 7 patients had either stabilization or improvement in visual acuity of both eyes and complete resolution of vitreous inflammation. Six patients had resolution of vasculitis on fluorescein angiography. The ERG 30-Hz implicit times and the bright scotopic amplitudes worsened in some patients despite abolition of clinically evident inflammation. Four patients were able to discontinue all other IMT and remain inflammation free while receiving only daclizumab treatment. Two patients developed adverse effects that led to daclizumab treatment discontinuation.

Conclusions  Daclizumab therapy was effective in stabilizing vision and decreasing inflammation in most patients with BSCR. The ERG parameters continued to decline in some patients despite adequate inflammatory control. Regular serologic monitoring is critical to detect adverse events.

Author Affiliations: Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institute, Cambridge (Drs Sobrin, Huang, Kafkala, Choopong, and Foster); and Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Christen).

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