Ophthalmic disodium cromoglycate.

Disodium cromoglycate has recently been approved for ophthalmic treatment of certain types of conjunctivitis in the United States. This mast cell inhibitor is effective in the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, chronic conjunctivitis, and giant papillary conjunctivitis, especially when a history of atopic disorders or moderately low blood IgE levels are present. This literature review provides a foundation for understanding the balance between the therapeutic efficacy, clinical benefits and side effects in treating IgE-mediated conjunctivitis with disodium cromoglycate.