Use of orbital floor steroids in the management of patients with uniocular non-necrotising scleritis.

Abstract

Most cases of non-necrotising scleritis can be successfully treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If these are ineffective, then high-dose systemic corticosteroids, with all their attendant side-effects, are usually required. We have used orbital floor injections of depot steroid in the management of nine patients with non-necrotising scleritis in an attempt to avoid the use of systemic steroids, or to allow the dose of steroids to be reduced while maintaining disease control. A temporary reduction in inflammation was achieved in all cases, which allowed the use of systemic steroids to be avoided altogether in two patients and delayed in the others. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and systemic corticosteroids remain the mainstay of treatment for non-necrotising scleritis, but orbital floor injections may be a useful adjunct in certain cases.