Vision Outcomes of Long-Term Immunomodulatory and Steroid Therapy in Sympathetic Ophthalmia

The study aimed to compare the vision outcomes of long-term steroid therapy versus immunomodulatory therapy in patients with sympathetic ophthalmia. The retrospective study included 35 patients with follow-up ranging from one to 17 years. The study found that longer periods of active uveitis and steroid treatment correlated with higher rates of vision loss, while longer periods of uveitis remission on immunomodulatory therapy and drug-free remission correlated with lower rates of vision loss. The study concluded that immunomodulatory therapy leads to superior vision outcomes in cases of steroid-resistant or recurrent sympathetic ophthalmia, while steroid therapy may be useful for acute or recalcitrant sympathetic uveitis but is insufficient for long-term inflammatory control.