Treatment of Refractory Cystoid Macular Edema with Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2A: A Retrospective Chart Review

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of pegylated interferon alfa-2A in the treatment of refractory inflammatory cystoid macular edema (CME) Methods: Retrospective chart review Results: Treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2A led to an improvement in CME in all eyes of seven included patients, with a mean decrease in CMT from 478 mu m to 310 mu m (p < .05). The vision in one patient did not improve due to preexisting retinal atrophy. All other eyes showed improvement in vision, with a mean improvement in best LogMAR visual acuity from +0.59 to +0.28 (p < .05). The treatment effect was sustained with low-dose treatment every 2 weeks or less in the majority of patients. Two patients who stopped interferon treatment given flu-like symptoms and intolerable rash, respectively, showed rapid recurrence of CME. Conclusions: Weekly administration of pegylated interferon alfa-2A is an effective treatment for refractory inflammatory CME, though side effects may limit tolerability in some patients.