Increased intraocular pressure induced by corticosteroids

Abstract

Twelve patients who were highly responsive to topically administered betamethasone were subjected to various corticosteroid preparations (four times daily for four weeks). Each patient was tested in the same eye with fluorometholone, tetrahydrotriamcinolone, medrysone, and betamethasone and the potential to elvate intraocular pressure was determined. The response of intraocular pressure to all the corticosteroids was dose-related and a highly significant correlation was demonstrated between the concentration of betamethasone and the magnitude of intraocular pressure response. The order of potential of corticosteroids to elevate IOP was betamethasone 0.1%, betamethasone 0.05%, tetrahydrotriamcinolone 1.25%, betamethasone 0.02%, fluorometholone 0.1%, medrysone 1.0%, and betamethasone 0.01%. Tetrahydrotriamcinolone 0.25% and fluorometholone 0.05 and 0.01% failed to elevate intraocular pressure significantly.