Intravenous pulse methylprednisolone in the treatment of uveitis associated with multiple sclerosis

Purpose: To demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of intravenous methylp rednisolone (IVMP) in the treatment of uveitis in association with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Uveitis is an unusual manifestation of MS that may be severe, chro nic and require systemic immunosuppression therapy. High-dose IVMP has prev iously been shown to be effective in the treatment of inflammatory eye dise ase and MS. Eight episodes of uveitis in five patients with MS were treated over a 10-year period in an open, uncontrolled trial. Two patients had chr onic anterior uveitis, one patient had bilateral panuveitis and two patient s had intermediate uveitis. Results: All patients responded to IVMP with evidence of a decrease in intr aocular inflammatory activity and improved visual acuity (VA) within 2 week s of commencing treatment. There were no severe ocular or systemic steroid side effects. Conclusions: Intravenous methylprednisolone is an effective, well-tolerated form of therapy for uveitis in patients with MS.