A clinical comparison of topical clobetasone butyrate and sodium cromoglycate in allergic conjunctivitis.

Clobetasone butyrate (0.1%), a new topical corticosteroid eye preparation for the treatment of ocular inflammation, has been compared with sodium cromoglycate (2%) eye drops in thirty-nine patients experiencing allergic conjunctivitis during the hay fever season. In this double-blind, within-patient comparative study both preparations were effective in relieving the patients' symptoms of conjunctivitis. However, clobetasone butyrate was clinically more effective than sodium cromoglycate as determined by symptom score card analysis (P less than 0.01) and the patients' overall assessment of treatment (P less than 0.05). Patients' preference for the treatment of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis was markedly in favour of clobetasone butyrate (P less than 0.001).