Comparison of Outcomes of External Dacryocystorhinostomy and Transcanalicular Laser-Assisted Dacryocystorhinostomy in Patients with Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare anatomical and functional outcomes of external dacryocystorhinostomy (EX-DCR) and transcanalicular multidiode laser dacryocystorhinostomy (TDL-DCR) in patients with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO). METHODS: This study was conducted on 60 eyes of 60 patients with PANDO. The study subjects were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 included 30 patients who underwent EX-DCR, and group 2 included 30 patients who underwent TDL-DCR. Surgery success rates were determined by patency of the neo-ostium, with free saline flow on irrigation and the absence of epiphora. RESULTS: There were 23 women (76.7%) and 7 men (23.3%) with a mean age of 47.33 ± 12.44 years in group 1, and 18 women (60%) and 12 men (40%) with a mean age of 46.2 ± 19.4 years in group 2. There was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 with respect to age or gender (p = 0.801, p = 0.267, respectively). The mean duration of symptoms was 3.2 years, ranging from 1.5 to 5 years. The mean postoperative follow-up was 12.3 ± 2.44 months. At the end of the follow-up period, the surgery success rates were 96.7% (29/30 eyes) in group 1, and 90% (27/30 eyes) in group 2. There was no statistical difference in the surgery success rates between groups (p = 0.612). CONCLUSION: TDL-DCR is a minimally invasive and safe procedure. The lack of bleeding and incision scar and shorter operation time suggest that TDL-DCR can be a good alternative in PANDO patients.

Relationship between mean platelet volume and central serous chorioretinopathy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the mean platelet volume (MPV) of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). Thirty patients were included in the study. Thirty healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group. All patients and control subjects underwent complete ocular examination. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet count, and MPV of the participants were recorded. Data of patients with CSCR were compared with the control subjects. Patients with CSCR had significantly higher MPV values (9.76 ± 1.36 fL) compared with the control subjects (8.37 ± 0.72 fL) (p = 0.004). No significant difference was found in platelet counts between the CSCR group and the control group (259 ± 53.75 and 243 ± 52.11 K/Ul, p = 0.253). According to the receiver operator characteristics curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value of MPV to predict the CSCR was >9.4, with 60.0 % sensitivity and 93.3 % specificity. Our results demonstrated that the MPV values were significantly higher in patients with CSCR. MPV may be used as a predictive tool for identifying risk for CSCR.

Evaluation of Choroidal Thickness in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome and Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma.

Purpose. To compare the macular and peripapillary choroidal thickness in eyes with pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome and PEX glaucoma with the normal eyes of healthy controls. Materials and Methods. In this prospective study, 30 eyes of 30 patients with PEX syndrome, 28 eyes of 28 patients with PEX glaucoma, and 30 eyes of 30 age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. Choroidal thicknesses in the macular and peripapillary areas were measured by using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Results. Gender, age, and axial length did not significantly differ between the groups (all, p > 0.05). The mean values of choroidal thickness in the macular and peripapillary areas (except the superior quadrant) in the patients with PEX syndrome and PEX glaucoma were lower compared with controls (all p < 0.05). The mean values of the macular and peripapillary choroidal thickness in the PEX glaucoma group were lower compared with PEX syndrome group; however this difference was not significant. Conclusions. The findings of this study revealed that macular and peripapillary choroidal thicknesses were decreased in PEX syndrome and PEX glaucoma cases. The role of choroid in the development of glaucomatous damage in patients with PEX syndrome remains unclear.

Evaluation of inner and outer retinal thickness in patients receiving intravitreal ranibizumab injections for diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To measure inner and outer retinal thickness with optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients in whom intravitreal ranibizumab was administered due to diabetic macular edema (DME) and to investigate its relation to the visual prognosis. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, there were 60 consecutive eyes with DME in which intravitreal ranibizumab injection was performed for 3 times in 1-month intervals. All patients underwent full ophthalmic examination and spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT). The total retinal thickness, the inner thickness, and the outer thickness in 4 parafoveal subfields were measured. The correlation between the retinal thickness and logMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was investigated. RESULTS: No significant correlation was found between the total retinal thickness in the central and other subfields and either the baseline or final visit logMAR BCVA values (p>0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the final visit logMAR BCVA values and pretreatment inner retinal thickness in the nasal and inferior subfields (r = 0.270, p = 0.037, and r = 0.410, p = 0.001, respectively). There was significant negative correlation between the final visit logMAR BCVA values and pretreatment outer retinal thickness in nasal and temporal parafoveal subfields (r = -0.297, p = 0.021, and r = -0.268, p = 0.038, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: It could be beneficial to use inner and outer retinal thickness instead of total retinal thickness in determination of short-term prognosis in patients who had intravitreal ranibizumab injection for DME.

Total oxidative stress, paraoxonase and arylesterase levels at patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma.

AIM: To investigate the oxidative stress status of the aqueous humor and serum of patients with pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEG) and to measure paraoxonase (PON) and arylesterase (ARE) levels. METHODS: A total of 78 patients were enrolled in the study, with 26 patients in each separate group. The patients were divided into three groups: the first group entailed PEX syndrome patients, while the second group consisted of patients with PEG and the third group involved patients with no additional systemic diseases, other than the diagnosis of cataract as control. Total oxidative stress (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), PON, and ARE levels in aqueous humor and serum were measured. RESULTS: TAC, PON and arylesterase levels in aqueous humor and serum of the PEX syndrome and PEG patients were significantly decreased compared with control group (P<0.05). TOS values were higher in patients with PEX syndrome and PEG than controls (P<0.05). TAC, PON and ARE levels of aqueous humor did not differ significantly between the PEX syndrome and PEG groups. CONCLUSION: These findings are potentially of significance and add to the growing body of evidence for oxidative stress in PEX syndrome and PEG. Decreased antioxidant defense and increased oxidative stress system may play an important role in the pathogenesis of PEX syndrome and PEG.

[The Investigation of Acanthamoeba and Other Free Living Amoeba in Swab Samples Obtained from Conjunctiva and Eye Lid]. / Göz Kapaklarindan ve Konjunktivadan Alinan Sürüntü Örneklerinde Acanthamoeba ve Diger Serbest Yasayan Amiplerin Arastirilmasi.

OBJECTIVE: In the study, it is aimed to determine the prevalence of Acanthamoeba and other free-living amoeba (FLA) species in the swab samples obtained from conjunctiva and lower eye lid. METHODS: For this purpose, swab samples from the 500 patients'eye lid and conjunctiva were obtained who admitted to Cumhuriyet University, Research and Application Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology with variety of reasons. Swab samples were carried out using sterile cotton swab in steril tubes. The swab samples were inoculated onto non-nutrient agar (NNA). Live Escherichia coli was used as food source for the growth of the FLA. The NNA plates were incubated at 300C and examined daily using ligth microscope for two weeks. For morphotyping of the trophozoites and cysts of the FLA were used taxonomic keys. RESULTS: Two of the 500 swab samples (0.4%) were positive for FLA. One of them (0.2%) were identified as Acanthamoeba spp. and other was identified as Hartmannella spp. However, these patients did not reveal any complaints yet. CONCLUSION: FLA both themselves and bacteria carrying in their body as reservoirs are potential pathogen. The rapid spread of Acanthamoeba keratitis in recent years reveal that these microorganisms are in contact with the eyes.

Association of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the development of retinal vein occlusion (RVO). METHODS: Forty patients were included in the study. Forty age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group. The RVO diagnosis was made clinically, based on the findings of fundus examination. The NLR and file records of the patients and the control group were compared. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 64 ± 12 years. Neutrophil levels were higher in RVO patients compared to the control subjects (5.1 ± 1.9 vs 3.6 ± 1.0, p<0.001). Lymphocyte levels were lower in RVO patients compared with the control subjects (2.0 ± 0.7 vs 2.6 ± 0.9, p = 0.005). The NLR was significantly higher in RVO patients compared with the control subjects (3.0 ± 2.7 vs 1.5 ± 0.3, p<0.001). According to the receiver operator characteristics curve analysis, the optimal cutoff value of NLR to predict RVO was >1.89, with 72.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrated that higher NLR was associated with the development of RVO. The NLR may be used as a predictive tool for identifying risk for RVO.

Aqueous humour levels of ghrelin in exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate levels of ghrelin in the aqueous humour (AqH) of patients with exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma and compare them to levels of ghrelin in control subjects. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 15 patients with exfoliation syndrome, 8 with exfoliation glaucoma and 12 control subjects for whom cataract surgery was indicated. The AqH was aspirated from the anterior chamber with a 27-G needle under sterile conditions prior to tissue manipulation. Ghrelin levels were quantified using radioimmunassay kits. RESULTS: Levels of ghrelin in the AqH were 187.87 ± 80.1 pg/mL in the eyes exhibiting exfoliation syndrome, 98.53 ± 50.9 pg/mL in the eyes exhibiting exfoliation glaucoma and 111.40 ± 77.5 pg/mL in the controls. Ghrelin level of patients with exfoliation syndrome were significantly higher than those of patients with exfoliation glaucoma and the controls (P < 0.05). Ghrelin levels of patients with exfoliation glaucoma were lower than those of the controls but were not reach statistically significant (P > 0.05). Age, gender and IOP did not have a significant effect on ghrelin levels in patients with exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to report elevated levels of ghrelin in the AqH in eyes exhibiting exfoliation syndrome. Findings suggest ghrelin might play role in the etiopathogenesis of exfoliation syndrome to exfoliation glaucoma.

Apoptotic effects of topical antiglaucoma medications on conjunctival epithelium in glaucoma patients.

PURPOSE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the apoptotic effects of topical antiglaucoma medications on the conjunctival epithelium. METHODS: A total of 65 patients were included in the study. Thirty patients were included in the first group who had received antiglaucomatous therapy before trabeculectomy. In the second group, 20 patients who had received no drugs before trabeculectomy were included, while the third group underwent only cataract surgery as control. During the surgery, 2 x 4 mm conjunctival samples were harvested from the upper bulbar conjunctiva. The mean apoptosis rate was calculated by determining apoptosis at conjunctival epithelium using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method. RESULTS: The mean apoptosis rate was 0.537 ± 0.369 (0.026 ± 0.962) in group 1, 0.139 ± 0.162 (0.005 ± 0.676) in group 2, and 0.078 ± 0.035 (0.035 ± 0.142) in the control group (group 3). The mean apoptosis rate was significantly higher in the first group than the other 2 groups (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Apoptotic effects of topical antiglaucoma drugs on the conjunctival epithelial cells were found. However, our results revealed that the number of medications, duration of medication, and type of glaucoma had no effect on the apoptotic effect.

Comparison of the effects of bevacizumab and ranibizumab injection on corneal angiogenesis in an alkali burn induced model.

AIM: To investigate the effects of bevacizumab and ranibizumab on corneal neovascularization in an alkali burn-induced model of corneal angiogenesis. METHODS: Fifteen Wistar albino rats were divided randomly into 3 groups after chemical cauterization of the cornea. The first group received a single dose of 0.1mL saline solution as a control group whereas second and third groups received a single dose of 2.5mg bevacizumab or 1mg ranibizumab by subconjunctival injection, respectively. After three weeks, the rat corneas were evaluated by biomicroscopy and corneal photographs were taken. The percentage of neovascularization area, length of the longest new vessel, corneal edema and corneal opacity scores were assessed. RESULTS: The analysis of digital photographs showed that the percentage of neovascularization area to the total corneal area, the length of the longest new vessel, corneal edema and opacity scores were significantly lower in both study groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). Additionally, the percentage of corneal neovascularization area, the length of the longest new vessel and corneal opacity score were less with bevacizumab than ranibizumab. CONCLUSION: Subconjunctival bevacizumab and ranibizumab treatments may be effective methods in reducing corneal neovascularization. Furthermore, bevacizumab is more effective than ranibizumab in the inhibition of corneal neovascularization.

Effect of latanoprost/timolol and dorzolamide/tiomolol on intraocular pressure after phacoemulsification surgery.

AIM: To evalaute the effect of fixed-combination latanoprost 0.005%/timolol maleate 0.5% and dorzolamide hydrochloride 2%/timolol maleate 0.5% on postoperative intraocular pressure after phacoemulsification cataract surgery. METHODS: This study is a prospective, randomized, double-masked and placebo-controlled. The study included 90 eyes of 90 patients which were scheduled to have phacoemulsification surgery. Patients were randomly assigned preoperatively to 1 of 3 groups (30 eyes of 30 patients). Two hour before surgery, the patients received one drop latanoprost/timolol (group 1), dorzolamide/timolol (group 2) and placebo (group 3, control group). The IOPs were measured at preoperative and postoperative 4, 8, and 24 hours. RESULTS: The preoperative mean intraocular pressure was not statistically significant between both drug groups and control group. In group 1 and 2, the postoperative mean IOP [group1: (14.03±3.15)mmHg and group 2: (14.16±4.43)mmHg] at 24 hours were significantly lower than the control group [(16.93±3.70)mmHg, (P<0.05)]. In addition, the postoperative mean IOP of group 1 [(14.90±3.69)mmHg] at 8 hours was significantly lower than the control group [(17.70±3.89)mmHg, (P<0.05)], but there was no significant difference between group 2 [(16.16±5.23)mmHg] and control group at 8 hours (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: When compared with placebo, the use of preoperative fixed combination of latanoprost/timolol and dorzolamide/timolol is an effective method for preventing intraocular pressure elevation in 24 hours after phacoemulsification surgery, but did not completely prevent IOP spikes.

Ocular findings in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

PURPOSE: To describe ocular findings of patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). DESIGN: Prospective, interventional, consecutive case series. METHODS: This study was conducted in Sivas, a city located in the central Anatolia, between July 1 and August 31, 2007. Confirmed CCHF patients were enrolled in the study and underwent ocular examination during hospitalization. RESULTS: Nineteen confirmed CCHF patients were included in this study. All patients were classified into 2 groups in terms of disease severity (severe vs nonsevere), according to the Swanepoel predictive criteria. Fourteen patients (73.7%) were classified as "nonsevere," and the remaining 5 patients (26.3%) were classified as "severe" in this study. One patient having severe disease died. Ocular findings were present in 14 patients (73.7%) and none of the patients presented any visual complaints. Ocular examination revealed that 7 patients (36.8%) had only bilateral multiple subconjunctival hemorrhage, and 2 patients (10.5%) (1 bilateral, 1 unilateral) had retinal hemorrhage. Five patients (26.3%) had subconjunctival hemorrhage and retinal hemorrhage. Follow-up examination 1 month later showed complete resorption of the subconjunctival hemorrhage and retinal hemorrhage. There was a statistically significant difference between patients with ocular findings and patients without ocular findings for prothrombin time (P = .011). There was no evidence of uveitis, retinal edema, sheathing of retinal vessels, or intravitreal hemorrhage in our patients. CONCLUSION: From the small sample study, CCHF caused a mild form of ocular disease. CCHF must be considered when subconjunctival or superficial retinal hemorrhages are seen in association with fever in endemic areas.

Efficacy of first Turkish made single-piece foldable hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens Zaraccom F260 on cataract treatment.

We evaluated the efficacy of Zaraccom F260 intraocular lenses (IOL) on cataract treatment in 97 adult cataract patients (114 eyes) who underwent phacoemulsification and IOL implantation. The mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.26 +/- 0.26 at one week 0.49 +/- 0.25 and 0.9 +/- 0.28 at follow-ups. The Zaraccom F 260 is an alternative for the patients requiring lens replacement.

Central corneal thickness and Diaton transpalpebral tonometry.

BACKGROUND: To examine the effects of central corneal thickness on the measures obtained from transpalpebral tonometry (Diaton), and to identify correlations between intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements with Diaton and the Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 162 eyes of 81 participants were included. Intraocular pressure measurements were obtained in all patients using Diaton and GAT. Central corneal thickness was determined by ultrasound pachymetry. The participants were stratified by corneal thickness: group I <530 microm (n = 56), group II 530-560 microm (n = 65), and group III >560 microm (n = 41). RESULTS: There were moderate correlations between IOP readings obtained using the Diaton and corrected GAT (C-GAT) (r = 0.303; P < 0.0001), and between corrected Diaton (C-Diaton), and C-GAT (r = 0.399; P < 0.0001). The mean Diaton tonometer readings were lower than C-GAT measurements (Diaton-corrected GAT mean difference, 0.9 +/- 3.8 mmHg; c-Diaton-corrected GAT mean difference, 0.7 +/- 3.5 mmHg). Differences were detected between the groups of patients for the GAT values [2.4 +/- 3.6 mmHg for those with the thinnest corneas (<530 microm), 0.7 +/- 3.6 mmHg for those with moderate corneas (between 531 microm and 560 microm), and -0.6 +/- 3.6 mmHg for those with the thickest (>560 microm) corneas], whereas a significantly lower difference (0.9 +/- 3.8 mmHg) was noted for the Diaton values of all individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The Diaton measurements show moderate correlation with those provided by applanation tonometry. The Diaton tonometer seems to be more affected by the corneal thickness, especially in the thinnest corneas.

The effect of propolis in experimental Acanthamoeba keratitis.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of propolis in a rat model of Acanthamoeba keratitis and to determine its in vitro cytotoxicity in cultured corneal epithelial cells. METHODS: Eighteen Wistar albino rats were used. Cultured corneal epithelial cells obtained from two healthy rats for in vitro cytotoxicity of propolis. Corneal stromal inoculation was performed in 16 rats with amoebic culture containing 1 x 10(6) amoeba/mL. Rats with Acanthamoeba keratitis 5 days later after the inoculation were divided randomly into four groups, and eight eyes of each group were treated with study drugs. The propolis, chlorhexidine (CHX), propolis plus CHX and control eyes were treated with topical propolis, 0.002% CHX, propolis plus 0.002% CHX and lubricant eye drops, respectively. The study drugs were instilled every one hour for 10 days. All eyes were examined and keratitis graded by slit-lamp biomicroscopy on days 2, 5 and 10 during the administration of the study drugs. After the completion of keratitis grading, all the 16 rats were humanely killed and their corneas were excised and used for Acanthamoeba culture to evaluate presence of Acanthamoeba growth after treatment 14 days later. RESULTS: Concentrations of propolis higher than 7.81 mg/mL cause damage to corneal epithelial cells in the experiment of in vitro cytotoxicity of propolis on corneal epithelial cells. The keratitis grade on day 2 in the CHX eyes was significantly lower than that in the control eyes (P < 0.05). The keratitis grades on days 5 and 10 in the propolis, CHX and propolis plus CHX eyes were significantly lower compared with those on days 5 and 10 in the control eyes (P < 0.05). In the propolis eyes, the keratitis grade on day 5 was significantly lower than that on day 2 (P < 0.05), and it was significantly lower on day 10 compared with that on day 5 (P < 0.05). In the CHX and propolis plus CHX eyes, the keratitis grade on day 10 was significantly lower compared with that on days 2 and 5 (P < 0.05). In the control eyes, there was no significant difference in the keratitis grades on days 2, 5 and 10 (P > 0.05). The culture positivity at Acanthamoeba growth after treatment experiment in the propolis, CHX and propolis plus CHX eyes was significantly lower than that in the control eyes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that propolis had amoebicidal properties in this rat model of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Further investigations to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the individual fractions of the resin could yield more information about its mechanism of action in treating this disease.

The effects of topical ketorolac and indomethacin on measles conjunctivitis: randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of topical ketorolac and indomethacin on measles conjunctivitis. DESIGN: Prospective double-masked placebo-controlled randomized trial. METHODS: Sixty-two patients with severe measles conjunctivitis were included in this study. All patients were hospitalized and randomly assigned to receive ketorolac 0.5% or indomethacin 0.1% in the right eye and artificial tears in the left eye. Conjunctival hyperemia, burning sensations, foreign-body sensations, and photophobia scores were conducted at baseline and at days seven and 14. A satisfaction score was evaluated at the end of the study. RESULTS: The conjunctival injection score of the control eyes was significantly higher than those of the ketorolac- and indomethacin-treated eyes at day seven (P < .05). The conjunctival injection score of the ketorolac-treated eyes was lower than that of the indomethacin-treated eyes at days seven and 14, but this did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant difference in the burning and foreign-body sensations and in the photophobia scores among the study eyes at baseline, day seven, and day 14 (P > .05). There was no significant difference in the satisfaction score among the study eyes at the end of the study (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with measles during the first two weeks of infection, ketorolac and indomethacin were more effective than artificial tears in decreasing conjunctival hyperemia, but burning sensations, foreign-body sensations, and photophobia were unaffected.

The effect of latanoprost, bimatoprost, and travoprost on intraocular pressure after cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative topical latanoprost, bimatoprost, and travoprost administration on postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) after phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) implantation. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, double-masked study included 120 eyes of 120 consecutive, normotensive, uncomplicated cataract patients having phacoemulsification surgery with PC IOL implantation. They were randomized into 1 of 4 treatment groups, each of which had 30 patients. Two (2) h before the surgery, the patients received 0.005% latanoprost (Group 1), 0.004% bimatoprost (Group 2), 0.03% travoprost (Group 3), or placebo (Group 4, artificial tears). IOP was measured at preoperative, 4, 8, and 24 h postoperative with a Goldmann applanation tonometer. The anterior chamber was examined postoperatively 24 h for levels of cell and flare using slit-lamp biomicroscopy. RESULTS: The preoperative mean IOP was not statistically significant different among the four groups. In Groups 1 and 3, the mean IOP at 4, 8 and 24 h were significantly lower than the control (Group 4; P < 0.05). However, in Group 2, there was no significant difference in IOP during the study period, compared to the control (Group 4; P > 0.05). In addition, the mean postoperative IOP at 24 h in Groups 1 and 3 were significantly lower than the preoperative IOP (P < 0.05). No severe anterior chamber reaction was observed in any group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that a single-dose topical of latanoprost and travoprost can prevent early postoperative IOP elevation after phacoemulsification surgery without any sideeffects.

Bilateral -14.0 diopters index myopia successfully treated with cataract surgery: a case report.

We report a 60-year-old man with bilateral nuclear cataract and -14.0 diopters index myopia. Following uncomplicated phacoemulsifications and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantations on both eyes, right and left axial lengths were 22.58 and 22.60 mm with otobiomeric A-scan ultrasound, respectively. Three-month corrected visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye with a -1.00 x 130 degrees cylinder and 20/20 in the left eye with -0.50 spheres and -1.00 x 100 degrees cylinders.

A short-term study of the additive effect of latanoprost 0.005% and brimonidine 0.2%.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the short-term additive effects of latanoprost 0.005% and brimonidine 0.2%. METHODS: This study was a randomized, double-masked, cross-over study that included 32 patients (32 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma or exfoliation glaucoma. On baseline day, intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured at 10 AM and 11 PM. Baseline IOP values were obtained by calculating the mean values for both eyes. After this process, latanoprost 0.005% was prescribed once a day during the first 5 days at 10 PM as the first test drug. During the second 5 days, twice a day brimonidine 0.2% or a placebo, as the second test drug, was added to the latanoprost at 9 AM and 10 PM. After a 4-week washout period, latanoprost 0.005% was prescribed once a day during the first 5 days at 10 PM and during the second 5 days, the second test drug, brimonidine or a placebo, was added to latanoprost, and the two drugs were prescribed twice a day for 5 days. RESULTS: During the second 5 days, although an additional 2.53-3.10 mm Hg decrease in IOP was determined in the latanoprost+brimonidine group, there was no additional decrease in the latanoprost+placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that brimonidine and latanoprost have an additive IOP-lowering effect in open-angle glaucoma patients in the short term.