A case of idiopathic necrotizing scleritis with secondary glaucoma treated successfully with golimumab and Ahmed valve implantation

ABSTRACT

A 52-year-old woman presented with idiopathic active scleritis not responding to oral cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, and oral steroid. Her intraocular pressure in the left eye was 45 mm of Hg in spite of using combination of brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.2% (thrice a day), timolol maleate 0.5% (twice a day) eye drops in both eyes and oral acetazolamide. She was administered subcutaneous golimumab 50 mg injection every 4 weeks along with oral methotrexate 15 mg/week. The scleral inflammation responded and she underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation after two months of initiation of golimumab therapy. After one week of surgery her IOP in left eye was the reduced to 8 mm of Hg. The index case showed that Golimumab can be a useful drug in the management of necrotizing scleritis refractory to the conventional therapy.