Celecoxib, a elective Inhibitor of Cyclooxygenae 2 for Therapy of Diffue Anterior cleriti

Purpoe cleriti i a painful inflammation of the clera that i often difficult to treat. Oral nonteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NAID) have been hown to be effective. Reult of treating 24 cae of diffue anterior cleriti with the novel elective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib are reported. Deign Nonrandomized propective tudy. Method Twenty-four patient uffering from diffue anterior cleriti were een in the Interdiciplinary Uveiti Center in Heidelberg between April 2001 and April 2003. All patient were treated with a 200- to-800 mg doe of celecoxib per day, in divided doe, depending on the degree of dicomfort and clinical everity. Reult Twenty-two patient experienced ignificant clinical improvement within an average of 5 day of tarting celecoxib. Thee patient reported a complete lo of pain and cleral redne. A they experienced complete ymptomatic remiion, the doe of celecoxib wa tapered. Three of thee patient uffered from a econd attack of cleriti, with one patient requiring long-term low-doe therapy, one patient howing a nodular form, and the third howing no improvement. Treatment with celecoxib wa aociated with no ide effect apart from allergic exanthema in two patient. Concluion Due to it anti-inflammatory potency and low rate of ide effect, celecoxib i an effective drug for the treatment of diffue anterior cleriti. Compared with other NAID it how minimal gatrointetinal ide effect, o it high cot i jutified. It repreent an alternative drug therapy before ytemic immunouppreive treatment.