Clinical experience with apraclonidine 0.5%.

PURPOSE

This study describes our long-term experience with apraclonidine 0.5% in the treatment of chronic glaucoma in clinical practice.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of all consecutive patients treated with apraclonidine 0.5%, specifically studying the magnitude of IOP reduction, incidence of allergic reaction, frequency of ineffectiveness, and its additivity to other anti-glaucoma medications. Patients previously treated with this agent or in whom multiple simultaneous medication changes were made were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 174 patients were included in this study and followed up to 24 months. For 38 patients (21%), the drug was found to be ineffective at some point during the study. A similar number of patients developed an allergic reaction to the medication. Intraocular pressure lowering ranged from 19 to 26% overall, and 22.5 to 29% in those responding to apraclonidine 0.5%.

CONCLUSION

In this study, apraclonidine 0.5% was shown to be effective in reducing intraocular pressure, both for short-term situations and for longer periods of treatment, up to 24 months.