| Abstract;Purpose: We investigated the adverse effects of .BETA.-blocker eye drops on tears and ocular surface epithelium. Methods: We studied twenty-three eyes of twenty three glaucoma patients (10 males, 13 females: 53.8.+-.12.2 (yrs; mean.+-.standard deviation)) treated with .BETA.-blocker eye drops for more than three months and thirty two control subjects (16 males, 16 females: 50.4.+-.10.9). The parameters described below were compared between the groups: 1) the radius of tear meniscus curvature, 2) grades for tear lipid layer interference patterns, 3) non-invasive breakup time (N-BUT), 4) cotton thread value, 5) scores of fluorescein staining, 6) fluorescein breakup time (F-BUT), 7) scores of rose bengal staining, 8) and Schirmer I value. Results: The glaucoma group showed a significant decrease in the radius of tear meniscus curvature (p=0.0007), a significantly lower distribution in the grades for tear lipid layer interference patterns (p=0.0270), a significant difference in the scores of fluorescein staining (p<0.0001), a significant shortening in F-BUT (p=0.0050), a significantly higher distribution in the scores of rose Bengal staining (p=0.0010), and a significantly smaller value in Schirmer I value (p=0.0042). However, there was no significant difference in N-BUT and cotton thread value. Conclusions: These results clearly demonstrate that the ocular surface in glaucoma patients treated with .BETA.-blocker eye drops show dry-eye-like changes in terms of tears and ocular surface epithelium. (author abst.) |
