Successful cataract surgery in a patient with refractory Wegener's granulomatosis effectively treated with rituximab: A case report

Abstract

Wegener's granulomatosis is a granulomatous disorder associated with systemic necrotizing vasculitis. Eye involvement occurs in approximately 50% of Wegener's granulomatosis patients and is an important cause of morbidity. Conventional treatment-related morbidity and failure have led to studies of alternative treatment modalities. In this case of a 35-year-old man with severe Wegener's granulomatosis, conventional therapy failed to induce remission. Despite the standard immunosuppressive therapy, progression of the disease was observed, mainly with ocular manifestations and renal impairment. Rituximab was given intravenously and led to remission of both systemic and ocular manifestations of the disease. After 1 year of disease quiescence, he was admitted one week after his third regularly-scheduled rituximab treatment and was started on intravenous methylprednisolone, 500 mg/day for 3 days, before cataract surgery. Subsequently, the patient underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery in his left eye. Six months later, in the same manner he underwent uneventful phacoemulsification cataract surgery in the right eye with a favorable outcome in both eyes. Conclusion: In this patient, rituximab was a well-tolerated and effective remission induction agent for severe refractory Wegener's granulomatosis and led to successful cataract surgery.