Pentoxifylline for the treatment of anterior uveitis in Behcet’s disease: possible alternative for TNF blockers

Behcet’s disease is an inflammatory disorder of unknown cause, characterized by recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. All these common manifestations are self-limiting except for the ocular attacks. The objective of the present study is to report the efficacy of pentoxifylline for ocular involvement in Behcet’s disease. We report a patient with ocular involvement secondary to Behcet’s disease which was corticosteroid dependent and refractory to azathioprine treatment. Pentoxifylline was added with amelioration of inflammation. Pentoxifylline may be a useful treatment option in patients with Behcet’s disease, where other immunosuppressives have failed or are contra-indicated.