Outcomes of Repository Corticotropin Gel for Ocular Sarcoidosis

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To evaluate the utility and side effect profile of subcutaneous repository corticotropin gel (RCI) in ocular sarcoidosis.

Methods

Retrospective chart review.

Results

Among six identified patients on RCI therapy, 4 had uveitis, one had optic neuritis and one had uveitis and optic neuritis secondary to sarcoidosis. The average follow-up was 43.5 months. RCI therapy was continuous in 4 patients (average 7.7 months) and intermittent in 2 patients (24 and 12 months). Five of the 6 patients continued with local and/or systemic corticosteroids for ocular inflammation control while on RCI therapy.  Two-thirds of patients experienced adverse effects including hyperpigmentation, alopecia, and severe hypertension. RCI therapy was discontinued in 5 of the 6 patients due to continued inflammation and side/adverse effects (4 patients) and loss of follow-up (1 patient).

Conclusion

In this small cohort, the majority of patients failed to achieve adequate steroid-sparing ocular inflammation control and experienced side effects while on RCI therapy. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the role of RCI in ocular inflammation.

KEYWORDS:

• RCI for ocular inflammation
• RCI therapy
• steroid therapy for uveitis

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness and an EY01792 from the National Eye Institute. The funders had no role in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the manuscript, nor decision to submit the manuscript for publication. There are no other manuscripts submitted from the same study. This manuscript has not been previously submitted to another journal.