AIM: To study the effect of acetazolamide on cystoid macular oedema (CMO) in patients with Behcet's disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 67 eyes of 35 Behcet's patients with chronic, but well-controlled uveitis, and CMO were randomised into a double-masked, crossover trial comparing the effect of acetazolamide vs placebo. The patients received an initial 4-week course of either 250 mg acetazolamide twice daily (b.i.d.) or placebo, followed by a 4-week washout period. They then received a 4-week course of the reverse study medication. An improvement in visual acuity and fundus fluorescein angiographic findings was assessed. RESULTS: In total, 29 patients (55 eyes) completed the trial and were available for analysis. Of the 29, 16 men and 13 were women. The age range was 13-50 years (mean 33.6 years). Patients on acetazolamide showed a slightly better improvement of angiographic signs (at least by one grade improvement) over that of placebo (12 vs five eyes). They also had less deterioration of angiographic signs over that of placebo (three vs seven eyes). However, these findings were not statistically significant (P=0.99). Acetazolamide had no statistically significant effect (P=0.53) on the improvement of visual acuity of patients over that of placebo (13 vs eight eyes), nor on the deterioration of visual acuity (three vs 11 eyes). CONCLUSION: Despite seemingly favourable results, the 4-week course of acetazolamide (250 mg b.i.d.) has no statistically significant effect on the improvement of the visual acuity and the fluorescein angiographic findings in Behcet's patients with CMO.

Acetazolamide↗

PubMed2003

Tonsillectomy and Behçet's disease.

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Adenoidectomy↗

PubMed1993

Salmonella infection in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are susceptible to infections, notably salmonellosis. We report 37 cases of salmonella infection in 24 patients with SLE. These cases were detected in a group of 770 patients with SLE. All the patients were women, with a mean age of 25.6 years. At the onset of salmonella infection, 81% were taking prednisolone and 27% were taking cytotoxic drugs. Renal involvement was present in 75% of patients, which was approximately the same as in other SLE patients. Bacteremia, arthritis, osteomyelitis and rare manifestations of salmonellosis, including pulmonary and urinary tract involvement, were encountered. Diagnosis was based on isolation of the microorganism, mostly from blood cultures. Salmonella species other than typhi and paratyphi were often responsible. Widal agglutination test was positive in less than half the cases, and leukopenia was not seen frequently. Recurrence of infection in 29% of the patients and the high mortality rate (28.5%), despite the conventional period of appropriate antimicrobial treatment, show a poor prognosis of salmonellosis in SLE patients. This special picture of salmonellosis argues for a much longer period of treatment in these patients.

Adolescent↗