Topical corticosteroid therapy complicating congenital glaucoma.

A 4-month-old infant with congenital glaucoma had been treated with a topical antibiotic-corticosteroid for three months. This fact complicated initial management, delaying definitive diagnosis and therapy. Topical steroid therapy in infants can produce a condition simulating congenital glaucoma. Since there is little rationale for using topical steroids to treat most infantile external disease processes, they are best avoided. When steroids are used for a prolonged period, some strategy for detecting glaucoma should be adopted.