Non-infectious uveitis (NIU) represents one of the leading causes of blindness in developed countries. The therapeutic strategy aims to rapidly control intra-ocular inflammation, prevent irremediable ocular damage, allow corticosteroid sparing and save the vision, and has evolved over the last few years. Anterior NIU is mostly managed with topical treatment in adults. However, for intermediate, posterior and pan-uveitis, notably when both eyes are involved, systemic treatment is usually warranted. Biotherapies are recommended in case of inefficacy or non-tolerance of conventional immunosuppressive drugs in non-anterior NIU. Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) agents are by far the most widely used, especially adalimumab (ADA) and infliximab (IFX). In case of sight-threatening uveitis in Behçet’s disease or in case of risk of severe recurrences, respectively IFX and ADA may be recommended as first-line therapy. Many questions are left unanswered; how long to treat NIU, how to discontinue anti-TNF-α agents, what biologic to use in case of anti-TNF-α failure? The objective of this review is to present an updated overview of knowledge on the use of biological treatments in NIU.
Uveitis in Behçet’s disease (BD) is frequent (40% of cases) and is a major cause of morbidity. The age of onset of uveitis is between 20 and 30 years. Ocular involvement includes anterior, posterior, or panuveitis. Uveitis may be the first sign of the disease in 20% of cases or it may appear 2 or 3 years after the first symptoms. Panuveitis is the most common presentation and is more commonly found in men. Bilateralization usually occurs on average 2 years after the first symptoms. The estimated risk of blindness at 5 years is 10–15%. BD uveitis has several ophthalmological features that distinguish it from other uveitis. The main goals in the management of patients are the rapid resolution of intraocular inflammation, the prevention of recurrent attacks, the achievement of complete remission, and the preservation of vision. Biologic therapies have changed the management of intraocular inflammation. The aim of this review is to provide an update to a previous article by our team on pathogenesis, diagnostic approaches, and the therapeutic strategy of BD uveitis.