A trial of dorzolamide for glaucoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the effectiveness of dorzolamide changes when the drug is used under routine clinical conditions versus the more ideal conditions of a clinical trial.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 118 eyes of 65 patients were assessed. Nine patients (15 eyes) received dorzolamide only, 41 patients (74 eyes) received dorzolamide as an "add-on" medication, and 15 patients (29 eyes) received dorzolamide as a substitute for an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor.

RESULTS

At 1 month the intraocular pressure (IOP) had decreased from 23.5 to 19.9 mm Hg in the patients receiving dorzolamide only, from 18.6 to 16.4 mm Hg in the patients receiving dorzolamide as an add-on medication, and from 17.7 to 16.0 mm Hg in the patients receiving dorzolamide as a substitute for an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Similar decreases in IOP were present at 3 and 6 months. Local drug reactions occurred in 3 patients. Five patients stopped treatment because of severe symptoms of nausea and prostration.

CONCLUSION

Under routine clinical conditions, dorzolamide was effective as a sole medication and as an add-on medication. It was at least as effective as oral acetazolamide. Local drug reactions sometimes occurred, as did systemic reactions.