COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY OF TOPICAL CYCLOSPORINE WITH FLUROMETHALONE IN TREATMENT OF DRY EYE DISEASE

Efficacy of Topical Cyclosporine With Fluromethalone

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy of 0.05% cyclosporine eye drops with 0.1% fluromethalone eye drops on keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye disease).
Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.
Place and Duration of Study: Ophthalmology department of HIT Hospital Taxila, from Oct 2014 to May 2015.
Material and Methods: The patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) were selected from outpatient and divided in two treatment groups. The dry eye disease was defined according to criteria set by International task force for dry eye disease (ITF). The group I was treated with 0.05% cyclosporine drops while group-II was treated with 0.1% fluromethalone eye drops three times a day after informed written consent. The patients were followed up after three months and six months.
Results: At the start of treatment 94 patients were placed in two treatment groups (n=47 in each group) and all the patients with KCS were graded according to severity following rules set by ITF. There were 46 patients in grade III (severe) KCS and 20 patients in grade IV (very severe) KCS. At the end of study only 24 were in grade II (moderate) KCS and 2 in grade III KCS. Of these only 5 patients in grade II and none in grade III were in treatment group I (cyclosporine). The remaining 19 patients in grade II and 5 patients in grade III KCS belonged to group II (fluromethalone).
Conclusion: Cyclosporine eye drops are better than fluromethalone in treatment of keratoconjunctivitis sicca.