Skip to main content

Long-Term Stability of Uveitis with Faint Anterior Chamber Flare Treated with Once-Daily Topical Ophthalmic Betamethasone

Inflammation volume 37, pages 417–425 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of our study is to investigate the long-term transitions of intraocular pressure (IOP) and aqueous flare values in uveitis patients with faint anterior chamber flare who were treated with once-daily topical ophthalmic betamethasone for more than 6 months. The study included a total of 111 eyes of 68 outpatients. The mean follow-up period was 26.8 months. The average IOP and aqueous flare value of patients divided by the 5-months follow-up period showed no significant difference. Six eyes (of four patients) were followed-up for more than 1 year after termination of the treatment. Among these patients, the average aqueous flare value was significantly higher, and the average period to reach more than 1.5 times the former aqueous flare value significantly decreased after termination than before. Once-daily topical ophthalmic betamethasone is not expected to cause steroid-induced ocular hypertension but to have prophylactic effect.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

REFERENCES

  1. Carnahan, M.C., and D.A. Goldstein. 2000. Ocular complications of topical, peri-ocular, and systemic corticosteroids. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology 11: 478–483.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kersey, J.P., and D.C. Broadway. 2006. Corticosteroid-induced glaucoma: a review of the literature. Eye (London) 20: 407–416.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Jones 3rd, R., and D.J. Rhee. 2006. Corticosteroid-induced ocular hypertension and glaucoma: a brief review and update of the literature. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology 17: 163–167.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Moorthy, R.S., A. Mermoud, G. Baerveldt, D.S. Minckler, P.P. Lee, and N.A. Rao. 1997. Glaucoma associated with uveitis. Survey of Ophthalmology 41: 361–394.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. BenEzra, D., Y.S. Wysenbeek, and E. Cohen. 1997. Increased intraocular pressure during treatment for chronic uveitis. Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 235: 200–203.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Tripathi, R.C., S.K. Parapuram, B.J. Tripathi, Y. Zhong, and K.V. Chalam. 1999. Corticosteroids and glaucoma risk. Drugs & Aging 15: 439–450.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Siddique, S.S., A.M. Suelves, U. Baheti, and C.S. Foster. 2013. Glaucoma and uveitis. Survey of Ophthalmology 58: 1–10.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Jabs, D.A., R.B. Nussenblatt, and J.T. Rosenbaum. 2005. Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) Working Group. Standardization of uveitis nomenclature for reporting clinical data. Results of the First International Workshop. American Journal of Ophthalmology 140: 509–516.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chin, P.K., O.E. Cuzzani, H.V. Gimbel, and R. Sun. 1996. Effect of commercial dilating agents on laser flare-cell measurements. Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology 31: 362–365.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Zaczek, A., and C. Zetterström. 2000. The effect of phenylephrine on pain and flare intensity in eyes with uveitis. Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica 78: 516–518.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Petternel, V., O. Findl, A. Kruger, J. Schauersberger, and M. Amon. 2000. Effect of tropicamide on aqueous flare before and after cataract surgery. Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery 26: 382–385.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Oshika, T., and S. Kato. 1989. Changes in aqueous flare and cells after mydriasis. Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology 33: 271–278.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Schemer, W.J., and F.A. Hauber. 2000. Effect of latanoprost on intraocular pressure in steroid-induced glaucoma. Journal of Glaucoma 9: 179–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Sung, V.C., and K. Barton. 2004. Management of inflammatory glaucomas. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology 15: 136–140.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Clark, A.F., and R.J. Wordinger. 2009. The role of steroids in outflow resistance. Experimental Eye Research 88: 752–759.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Meacock, W.R., D.J. Spalton, L. Bender, R. Antcliff, C. Heatley, M.R. Stanford, and E.M. Graham. 2004. Steroid prophylaxis in eyes with uveitis undergoing phacoemulsification. British Journal of Ophthalmology 88: 1122–1124.

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Shah, S.M., D.J. Spalton, and J.C. Taylor. 1992. Correlations between laser flare measurements and anterior chamber protein concentrations. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 33: 2878–2884.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Saari, K.M., O.M. Guillén-Monterrubio, J. Hartikainen, M.M. Hämäläinen, and K. Taskinen. 1997. Measurement of protein concentration of aqueous humour in vivo: correlation between laser flare measurements and chemical protein determination. Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica 75: 63–66.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Guillén-Monterrubío, O.M., J. Hartikainen, K. Taskinen, and K.M. Saari. 1997. Quantitative determination of aqueous flare and cells in healthy eyes. Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica 75: 58–62.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Konstantopoulou, K., R. Del’omo, A.M. Morley, D. Karagiannis, C. Bunce, and C. Pavesio. 2012. A comparative study between clinical grading of anterior chamber flare and flare reading using the Kowa laser flare meter. International Ophthalmology. doi:10.1007/s10792-012-9616-3.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Mataftsi, A., A. Narang, W. Moore, and K.K. Nischal. 2011. Do reducing regimens of fluorometholone for paediatric ocular surface disease cause glaucoma? British Journal of Ophthalmology 95: 1531–1533.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Funding/Support

This study was supported in part by a Strategic Research Foundation Grant for the aid of Projects in Private Universities, offered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan (MEXT), 2011–2015 (S1101027).

Role of the Sponsor

The sponsor had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; or preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

None reported.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan

    Masahide Kawamura & Masahiro Zako

Authors
  1. Masahide Kawamura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Masahiro Zako
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masahiro Zako.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kawamura, M., Zako, M. Long-Term Stability of Uveitis with Faint Anterior Chamber Flare Treated with Once-Daily Topical Ophthalmic Betamethasone. Inflammation 37, 417–425 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-013-9754-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-013-9754-4

KEY WORDS

  • aqueous flare
  • betamethasone
  • intraocular pressure
  • steroid-induced ocular hypertension
  • uveitis