Drug-Induced Ectropion

Association of topical glaucoma medications with lacrimal drainage obstruction and eyelid malposition

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Adverse effects of topical glaucoma medications (TGMs) may include development of ocular adnexal disorders. We undertook a study to determine the effect of TGMs on the risk of developing lacrimal drainage obstruction (LDO) and eyelid malposition.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

All patients 66 years of age and older in Ontario, Canada initiating TGM and all patients diagnosed with glaucoma/suspected glaucoma but not receiving TGM from 2002 to 2018 were eligible for inclusion in this retrospective cohort study. Using validated healthcare administrative databases, cohorts were identified with TGM and no TGM patients matched 1:2 on sex and birth year. The effect of TGM treatment on risk of surgery for LDO and lid malpositions was estimated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

Cohorts included 122,582 patients in the TGM cohort and 232,336 patients in the no TGM cohort. Among the TGM cohort there was decreased event-free survival for entropion (log-rank P < 0.001), trichiasis (P < 0.001), and LDO (P = 0.006), and increased ectropion-free survival (P = 0.007). No difference in ptosis-free survival was detected (P = 0.78). For the TGM cohort there were increased hazards for entropion (hazard ratio [HR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-1.37; P < 0.001), trichiasis (HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.57-1.94; P < 0.001), and LDO (at 15 years: HR 2.39, 95% CI 1.49-3.85; P = 0.004), and a decreased hazard for ectropion (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.97; P = 0.008). No association between TGM treatment and ptosis hazard was detected (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.89-1.09; P = 0.78).

CONCLUSIONS

TGMs are associated with an increased risk of undergoing surgery for LDO, entropion, and trichiasis.

Ocular surface disease: a known yet overlooked side effect of topical glaucoma therapy

Ocular surface disease (OSD), a disorder affecting the lacrimal and meibomian glands and the corneal and conjunctival epithelium, is a well-known complication of topical glaucoma therapy. OSD can present as a new or pre-existing condition that virtually any anti-glaucoma formulation can exacerbate. As such, both glaucoma and OSD frequently coexist. Typical OSD symptoms include ocular discomfort, redness, burning, and dryness, whereas signs include periorbital and eyelid skin pigmentation, conjunctival scarring, and superficial punctate keratitis. Pressure-lowering eyedrops can cause toxic, allergic, and inflammatory reactions on the ocular surface. The latter can result from either preservatives or direct toxicity from the active molecule. Although usually mild, OSD can cause significant symptoms that lead to poor quality of life, decreased compliance to therapy, glaucoma progression, and worse visual outcomes. Given the chronic nature of glaucoma, lack of curative therapy, and subsequent lifelong treatment, addressing OSD is necessary. This manuscript aims to provide an up-to-date overview of OSD's signs, symptoms, and pathogenic mechanisms from glaucoma therapy toxicity.

Oculoplastic Surgeries in Patients Older than 90 Years of Age

PURPOSE

To report the epidemiology, indications and surgical outcomes of oculoplastic surgeries in older adults (≥ 90 years old).

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted reviewing the medical charts of 114 patients aged 90 years old and older who underwent oculoplastic procedures from 2010 to 2020. Data retrieved from the medical records included: past medical and ocular history, indication for surgery, type of surgery, intra and post-operative complications, pathological analysis for removed tissues, and surgical outcome in the last follow-up.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty eight surgeries were performed on 114 patients (male: female = 1:1). The mean age was 92.95 years old (± 3.12 SD). Six patients (5.2%) were older than 100 years old. The most common indication for surgery was lower lid malpositioning (32%). Mass/lesion excision was performed in 34 procedures (25%). Forty-three biopsies were analyzed and basal cell carcinoma was found to be the most common pathological diagnosis (32%). Hypertension was the most common associated systemic comorbidity (79 patients, 69%). 80% of the surgeries were performed under local anesthesia. Surgical revision was required in seven patients (5.2%). One patient had suffered from a minor stroke one day after the surgical pocedure. The same patient had orbital-skin fistulas after orbital exenteration.

CONCLUSION

In our experience, oculoplastic surgeries among the elderly population are safe without significant complications and can usually be performed under local anesthesia. Advanced age should not prevent surgery, especially if the procedure may improve vision and quality of life.

Do topical ocular antihypertensives affect Dacryocystorhinostomy outcomes: The Coventry experience

BACKGROUND

It has been suggested that ocular antihypertensives are associated with an increased risk of nasolacrimal duct obstruction. This study aims to assess the effect of topical antihypertensive treatment on surgical outcomes for patients undergoing Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) with intubation.

METHODS

Single centre, retrospective analysis of 170 operations carried out on 144 patients between January 2014 and January 2019. Statistical analysis of DCR failure rates comparing patients on topical ocular antihypertensive treatment and those not on any topical ocular antihypertensive treatment was carried out following medical case record analysis.

RESULTS

6.9% of patients undergoing DCR surgery were on topical antihypertensive treatment. The overall failure rate for all DCR operations during this time period was 11.2%. There was a statistically significant higher rate of primary DCR failure in patients on antihypertensive treatment (p = 0.02), with the endonasal DCRs worse affected (p = 0.01). The most commonly used topical treatments were carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAI, 81.8%), followed by beta-blockers (72.7%). All patients who had failure of primary DCR were using topical beta-blockers and CAI at the time of surgery and post-operatively. There was no statistically significant association between failure rates and the use of preserved or unpreserved drops (p = 1.0) CONCLUSIONS: Topical ocular antihypertensive treatment may lead to a higher failure rate for DCR surgery due to the provocation of an inflammatory cicatricial response. Beta-blockers and CAIs appear to have the strongest association. Considering a primary external approach in this group as well as switching the class of topical antihypertensive treatment pre-operatively could perhaps improve DCR outcomes.

Keratitis in six dogs after topical treatment with carbonic anhydrase inhibitors for glaucoma

CASE DESCRIPTION

6 dogs (10 eyes) with keratitis following long-term topical treatment with a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) were evaluated. In 4 dogs (6 eyes), CAI treatment was discontinued. Three dogs (4 eyes) underwent enucleation because of end-stage corneal disease. One dog was treated differently in each eye and thus was represented in both aforementioned groups.

CLINICAL FINDINGS

Following initiation of treatment with a CAI (ie, brinzolamide or dorzolamide), the median time to development of severe ocular signs was 266 days (range, 133 to 679 days). Clinically severe ocular signs included ulcerative and nonulcerative perilimbal keratitis or severe diffuse keratitis with marked vascularization. The keratitis was refractory to treatment with anti-inflammatory medications. Histologic and immunohistochemical examination of enucleated globes was performed in 3 affected dogs and in 1 dog with keratitis that recovered. Corneal lesions included 2 distinct inflammatory infiltrates with plasma cells predominating in the anterior stroma and both T cells and neutrophils in the epithelium. Stromal plasma cells and overlying epithelium exhibited strong positive immunoreactivity for IgG.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

Topical CAI treatment was discontinued in 4 dogs after a median of 209 days (range, 44 to 433 days), and in these dogs, clinical improvement was evident within 2 to 4 days of CAI treatment cessation. Signs of keratitis resolved in 12 to 25 days in these 4 dogs, and median follow-up time after CAI discontinuation was 25.5 months (range, 6 to 42 months), during which time signs of corneal disease did not recur.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

On the basis of this small series, presumed topical CAI-associated keratitis in dogs appeared to be an uncommon immune-mediated disease that was not responsive to corticosteroid treatment. Affected patients improved rapidly, but only after discontinuation of CAI treatment. In dogs with glaucoma, clinicians should consider the development of punctate keratopathy and severe diffuse keratitis as potential adverse effects related to topical administration of CAIs, even after previously uneventful long-term use.

The prevalence of glaucoma in patients undergoing surgery for eyelid entropion or ectropion

Purpose and design

The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of known glaucoma in patients undergoing ectropion or entropion surgical repair. In this study, retrospective review of case series was performed.

Participants

All patients who underwent ectropion or entropion surgery in a tertiary medical center between 2007 and 2014 were included. The etiology of eyelid malpositioning was involutional or cicatricial.

Methods

The medical files of the study participants were reviewed for the presence and type of glaucoma, medical treatment, duration of treatment, and the amount of drops per day. These data were compared to a matched control group of 101 patients who underwent blepharoplasty for dermatochalasis in the same department during the same period.

Main outcome measure

In this study, the prevalence of glaucoma in individuals with ectropion or entropion was the main outcome measure.

Results

A total of 227 patients (57% men, mean age: 79.2 years) who underwent ectropion or entropion surgery comprised the study group and 101 patients who underwent upper blepharoplasty for dermatochalasis comprised the control group. Compared to four patients in the control group (4%, P=0.01), 30 of the study patients (13.2%) had coexisting glaucoma. Of 30 glaucomatous patients, 25 had primary open-angle glaucoma for a mean duration of 10.3 years. The glaucomatous patients were treated with an average of 2.7 antiglaucoma medications.

Conclusion

An increased prevalence of known glaucoma in patients undergoing ectropion or entropion repair surgery was found. This observation may indicate that the chronic usage of topical anti-glaucoma eyedrops may lead to an increased risk of developing eyelid malpositions, especially in elderly patients.

Effects of common topical antiglaucoma medications on the ocular surface, eyelids and periorbital tissue

Glaucoma affects millions of people around the world. With the baby boom generation aging, the number of people affected by primary open-angle glaucoma in the US is expected to reach 3.3 million by 2020, and about half may not know they have the disease. The treatment of most forms of glaucoma includes the use of topical agents that enhance aqueous humour outflow, reduce aqueous production, or both. Topical intraocular pressure-lowering drugs must penetrate across the tissues of the eye to reach their therapeutic targets. Often, these tissues show the first signs and symptoms of drug toxicity and adverse effects. These include eyelid dermatitis, malpositions, lacrimal system scarring, ocular discomfort upon instillation, tear film instability, conjunctival inflammation, subconjunctival fibrosis, conjunctival epithelium changes, and corneal surface and endothelial impairment. For these reasons, ophthalmologists should evaluate the risks and benefits of ophthalmic medications before initiating therapy, identify the minimum dosages necessary to achieve a therapeutic benefit, and monitor patients for local and systemic adverse effects. Adverse events may be reduced by changing to a different class of topical medication, using corticosteroids, lubricating the eyes frequently, and reducing exposure to preservatives. This in turn can lead to higher levels of adherence to antiglaucoma therapy, improved outcomes and a reduction in the costs associated with long-term glaucoma complications. This article reviews the ocular adverse effects associated with the various classes of topical antiglaucoma drugs, with a particular focus on the ocular surface, eyelids and periorbital tissue.

Comparison of allergy rates in glaucoma patients receiving brimonidine 0.2% monotherapy versus fixed-combination brimonidine 0.2%-timolol 0.5% therapy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the incidence of ocular allergy in glaucoma patients prospectively treated with 0.2% brimonidine-0.5% timolol fixed combination (Combigan) compared with the incidence of ocular allergy in patients treated with 0.2% brimonidine (Alphagan) monotherapy.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This was a comparative, non-randomized, single-site, interventional study involving patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or exfoliation syndrome who had not previously used brimonidine in any formulation and had no history of ocular allergy. In one study arm, 102 patients were prospectively treated with twice-daily 0.2% brimonidine-0.5% timolol fixed combination. In the other study arm, medical charts at the same center were reviewed to identify a control group of 102 patients who had been treated with twice-daily 0.2% brimonidine monotherapy. Follow-up was at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months of treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Ocular allergy defined as the presence of follicles and redness severe enough to warrant discontinuation of the medication.

RESULTS

The incidence of ocular allergy over 18 months of treatment was 8.8% (9/102) in the fixed-combination group compared with 17.6% (18/102) in the brimonidine group (p=0.097). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggested that ocular allergy may be reduced or delayed in patients treated with the brimonidine-timolol fixed combination (p=0.066).

CONCLUSIONS

The brimonidine-timolol fixed combination was associated with a 50% lower incidence in ocular allergy compared with 0.2% brimonidine monotherapy. This difference between treatments was not statistically significant (p=0.097) but is likely to be clinically important. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the incidence of ocular allergy associated with brimonidine-timolol fixed combination treatment.

Reversible cicatricial ectropion precipitated by topical brimonidine eye drops

Bilateral cicatricial ectropian was precipitated by topical brimonidine eye drops. On discontinuation of the drug, the ectropian resolved. Patients on brimonidine who develop cicatricial ectropian should not be managed surgically at first presentation.

Efficacy and safety of brimonidine and dorzolamide for intraocular pressure lowering in glaucoma and ocular hypertension

BACKGROUND

Brimonidine and dorzolamide are intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medications most commonly used in second-line treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

SCOPE

An evidence-based review of comparative clinical trials of brimonidine and dorzolamide was undertaken to determine the relative efficacy and safety of these drugs in reducing IOP. Using the keywords 'brimonidine' and 'dorzolamide', all articles describing such trials from September 1966 to July 2007 were found in MEDLINE and EMBASE.

FINDINGS

In all identified studies, brimonidine and dorzolamide were both found to provide significant IOP reduction from treated or untreated baseline levels. Results of eight trials reported to date indicate that brimonidine produced either a lower treated IOP or greater pressure reduction from baseline than dorzolamide at one or more measured timepoints, and provided comparable IOP lowering over all other measurements. Differences between the IOP reductions provided by brimonidine and dorzolamide were more pronounced when the medications were used adjunctively with other classes of drugs. Six other trials showed similar efficacy, and one additional monotherapy study showed lower IOP with dorzolamide treatment. Ocular burning was noted with dorzolamide more than any other adverse event with either drug. Trials ranged widely in duration of therapy and the time of day IOP measurements were taken, and many were too small for sufficient statistical power.

CONCLUSION

Brimonidine and dorzolamide are both efficacious and reasonably well tolerated. Possible overall distinctions in efficacy were obscured by differences in study designs and treatment regimens, but adjunctive therapy with brimonidine may reduce IOP as effectively or more effectively than adjunctive or fixed combination dorzolamide therapy. In certain patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension brimonidine may be a better choice than dorzolamide for second-line treatment.