[Corticosteroid therapy and secondary elevated intraocular pressure in patients with Fuchs heterochromic cyclitis and idiopathic chronic anterior uveitis].

BACKGROUND

Due to different influences on anterior chamber angle structures, corticosteroids have a significant impact on secondary elevated intraocular pressure. This study examines the influence of corticosteroid therapy on the incidence of secondary elevated intraocular pressure in patients with Fuchs heterochromic cyclitis (FHC) and chronic anterior uveitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective chart analyses of patients undergoing topical and systemic corticosteroid therapy were carried out.

RESULTS

Overall, data of 54 FHC and 49 CAU patients were analysed. Patients did not differ with respect to age, gender distribution and follow-up period. Seventeen (37 %) of the FHC patients and eight (18 %) of the CAU patients had secondary elevated intraocular pressure (p = 0.08). Number of months with topical therapy (54 vs. 20 months, p = 0.025) and number of months multiplicated with the frequency of topical maintenance therapy (158 vs. 61 p = 0.027) were significantly higher in the FHC patients. Only in the FHC group was an association with age (OR 1.16; 95 % CI 1.03 - 1.2; p = 0,006) and in the CAU group with the number of topical corticosteroid therapies (OR 1.15; 95 % CI 0.99 - 1.34; p = 0.03) evident in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Pathomechanisms, resulting in secondary elevated intraocular pressure in patients with FHC and CAU, must be different as only in CAU patients was an association to corticosteroid therapy found.