Relentless Placoid Chorioretinitis: A Case Series of Successful Tapering of Systemic Immunosuppressants Achieved with Adalimumab

BACKGROUND: Adalimumab, a human anti-tumor necrosis factor-ɑ monoclonal antibody, was recently reported to be effective in lowering the risk of recurrence of noninfectious uveitis. This is the first case series of adalimumab administrations for relentless placoid chorioretinitis (RPC) patients. CASE PRESENTATION: We report 2 cases of RPC where successful treatments were achieved with adalimumab. A 34-year-old woman developed conjunctival hyperemia, mild iridocyclitis, and multiple atrophic retinal lesions, along with exudative changes that were widespread from the posterior pole to peripheral retina in both eyes. The diagnosis of RPC was made based on the characteristic recurrences of choroiditis despite systemic corticosteroid and cyclosporine. Adalimumab therapy was introduced to the patient, and thereafter no recurrence was observed while tapering the immunosuppressive agents. The second case was a 22-year-old man with visual deterioration in both eyes who exhibited widespread multiple chorioretinal atrophic lesions. We diagnosed the case as RPC based on characteristic clinical findings and recurring chorioretinitis during tapering of systemic corticosteroids. Adalimumab therapy was administrated, and immunosuppressant dosage was successfully reduced without any recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: In the current two RPC cases, adalimumab was quite effective and useful to reduce the dosages of systemic immunosuppressants. Further study is necessary to confirm the effectiveness of adalimumab in RPC patients.