Combined Use of Rituximab and Intravenous Immunoglobulin for Severe Autoimmune Cicatricial Conjunctivitis—An Interventional Case Series

Purpose: Despite the availability of systemic immunosuppressants, cicatricial conjunctivitis (CC) remains a potentially blinding ocular surface disease. We aim to describe the combined use of rituximab (RTX) and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) for severe recalcitrant autoimmune CC. Methods: In this single-center retrospective interventional case series with follow-up between 32 and 65 months, 3 cases with mucous membrane pemphigoid (patients 1–3) and 1 case with linear IgA disease (patient 4) were included. Initial conventional immunosuppressive therapy regimens included systemic steroids, dapsone, and mycophenolate. At the time of initiation of RTX and IVIg, all patients had only one eye with good visual acuity or good visual potential. Treatment included 1 to 2 cycles of RTX (1000 mg twice at an interval of 2 weeks apart), and 2 to 9 monthly courses of IVIg (2 g/kg over 3 days). Outcome measures were blindness, as defined by best spectacle-corrected visual acuity
Source: Cornea - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Clinical Science Source Type: research