Immunosuppressive therapy for severe chronic uveitis.

Twenty-five patients with severe, progressive, chronic uveitis who were poorly responsive or unresponsive to corticosteroid therapy received low-dose prednisone and cytotoxic immunosuppressive therapy. Azathioprine (2.0 to 2.5 mg/kg) or chlorambucil (6 to 8 mg) was combined with prednisone (10 to 15 mg) daily in a long-term therapeutic program. All 25 patients exhibited a therapeutic response. In 18 of 25 patients, complete quiescence of the inflammatory process was observed. The remaining seven patients showed a substantial decrease of uveitis with persistence of some inflammatory changes. Adverse side effects that resulted from this therapy were infrequent.