Low dose cyclosporin treatment for ocular lesions of Behçet's disease
Kotake, S.; Ichiishi, A.; Kosaka, S.; Yoshikawa, K.; Minagawa, R.; Matsuda, H.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi 96(10): 1290-1294
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-0203 PMID: 1442355 Document Number: 400048
Cyclosporin is an immunosuppressant that has recently been used for the treatment of Behcet's disease. We evaluated the clinical effect of low doses of cyclosporin (5 mg/kg/day) on 20 patients of Behcet's disease with refractory ocular involvement. The therapeutic effect of cyclosporin was judged by the frequency of ocular inflammatory attacks. It was effective in more than 70% of the patients. On the other hand, it had some adverse side effects such as renal dysfunction, indigestion, and neurological disorders. Most side effects were mild with low dose treatment, but neurological side effects were similar in frequency and severity to those seen with 10 mg/kg/day usage. These findings indicate that low dose cyclosporin (5 mg/kg/day) administration may be acceptable as a standard plan for treatment of Behcet's disease, but that we have to use cyclosprin with great attention to its side effects, especially neurological symptoms.