RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF POSTERIOR UVEITIS

Uveitis is an intraocular inflammation that can be caused by infection , autoimmune disease, trauma or malignancy. It is a serious cause of v isual handicap and therapy is targeted at: removal of possible infecti ous agents, the immunological processes that lead to or sustain the in flammation and finally to prevent or treat the destructive effects of the inflammation on the delicate ocular structures. In this review the latest developments concerning the treatment of posterior uveitis are illuminated, e.g., new approaches concerning the treatment of infecti ous uveitis including the therapy of herpes virus (VZV, HSV and CMV), bacterial and toxoplasma infections of the eye. Several new ways to in fluence the immune response and inflammation are described including t he use of interferons, modulation of cytokines, soft steroids, other n ew immunosuppressive drugs and treatment of autoimmune uveitis by oral tolerization. An overview is given to illustrate new ways to administ er drugs into eyes, such as intravitreal devices. Finally new developm ents in the field of the treatment of the various complications of uve itis (cystoid macular edema) are described.