Abstract: Sulfasalazine Reduces the Number of Flares of Acute Anterior Uveitis Over a One-Year Period

Sulfasalazine Reduces the Number of Flares of Acute Anterior Uveitis Over a One-Year Period

SANTIAGO MUÑOZ-FERNÁNDEZ, VENTURA HIDALGO, JULIA FERNÁNDEZ-MELÓN, ARMELLE SCHLINCKER, GEMA BONILLA, DOLORES RUIZ-SANCHO, AGUSTÍN FONSECA, JUAN GIJÓN-BAÑOS, and EMILIO MARTÍN-MOLA

ABSTRACT.

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of sulfasalazine (SSZ) in the prevention of recurrent flares of acute anterior uveitis (AAU).

Methods. We included patients seen from June 1997 to October 2000 in this prospective, open, longitudinal study who fulfilled the following inclusion criteria: either (1) ³ 3 flares of AAU in the previous year or (2) ³ 2 recurrences of uveitis within 3 months before starting the trial. We excluded uveitis of infectious or malignant origin or patients with contraindications to the drug. The response criteria were defined as absence of symptoms and the presence of a normal ophthalmologic examination. The major outcome was the number of flares of uveitis over a one-year period compared in the same group of patients with the flares along the previous year without SSZ.

Results. Three hundred ninety-four patients with uveitis were evaluated during the period of the study and 10 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean number of flares in the pre-SSZ year was 3.4 (SD 0.5), which was significantly reduced to 0.9 (SD 1.1) in the year of treatment (p = 0.007).

Conclusion. SSZ treatment seems to reduce the number of flares over a one year period in patients with recurrent AAU. (J Rheumatol 2003;30:1277-9)

Key Indexing Terms:

ACUTE ANTERIOR UVEITIS
TREATMENT
SULFASALAZINE

From the Rheumatology and Ophthalmology Units, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

S. Muñoz-Fernández, MD, PhD, Rheumatology Unit, Honorary Professor of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; V. Hidalgo, MD, Ophthalmology Unit; J. Fernández-Melón, MD, Resident; G. Bonilla, MD, Fellow, Rheumatology Unit; D. Ruiz-Sancho, MD, Resident; A. Fonseca, MD, Head, Ophthalmology Unit; A. Schlincker, MD, Ophthalmology Unit; J. Gijón-Baños, MD, PhD, Rheumatologist; E. Martín-Mola, MD, PhD, Head, Rheumatology Unit, Professor of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Address reprint requests to Dr. S. Muñoz-Fernández, Rheumatology Unit, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Paseo Castellana 201, 28046 Madrid, Spain. E-mail: smunoz.hulp@salud.madrid.org

Submitted July 16, 2002; revision accepted November 15, 2002.