Glaucoma treatment with once-daily levobunolol

Although twice-daily instillation of topical beta-blockers is the standard regimen for treatment of increased intraocular pressure, once-daily therapy might improve patient compliance and provide greater safety. In a three-month, double-masked clinical trial, 92 patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension received levobunolol 0.5% or 1% or timolol 0.5% once daily, in both eyes. Overall mean decreases in intraocular pressure were significantly greater in the groups treated with levobunolol than in the group treated with timolol. Intraocular pressure decreases averaged 7.0 mm Hg with levobunolol 0.5%, 6.5 mm Hg with levobunolol 1%, and 4.5 mm Hg with timolol. The intraocular pressures of 72% (18 of 25 patients) of those treated with levobunolol 0.5%, 79% (22 of 28 patients) of those treated with levobunolol 1%, and 64% (16 of 25 patients) of those treated with timolol were successfully controlled during the study. Heart rate and blood pressure decreases were minimal with both levobunolol and timolol. Study results indicated that once-daily treatment with levobunolol and, to a lesser extent, timolol is sufficient to control intraocular pressure successfully and safely.     

Glaucoma treatment with timolol.

Thirty-two eyes from 19 patients with either capsular glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma or primary open angle glaucoma were given topical timolol and followed through a 3--6 months period. Twelve eyes were previously out of control on full medication including pilocarpine, epinephrine and acetazolamide. Eight of these eyes could be adequately controlled throughout the follow-up period on topical timolol or a combination of timolol and pilocarpine, but without resorting to acetazolamide. One eye needed acetazolamide in combination with timolol, and three eyes had to be referred to surgery. Twelve eyes were adequately controlled either on pilocarpine or full medication, but could be equally well controlled on timolol alone, or timolol and pilocarpine in combination. Acetazolamide could be withheld from all of the six patients who used this drug. Eight eyes were previously untreated. They could all be adequately controlled either on timolol (5 eyes) or timolol and pilocarpine (3 eyes). The study indicates that the effect of timolol 0.5% X 2 may be stronger than the combined effect of epinephrine 1% X 2 and acetazolamide 500 mg a day. Topical timolol was well tolerated. No side reactions occurred and the pupillary size and reactions were not influenced by the timolol treatment.     

Glaucoma treatment during pregnancy and lactation

4 cases of glaucoma during pregnancy and lactation are represented to study individual treatment approach in situations like these. Clinical characteristic of medications used and other treatment options are described.     

妊娠与哺乳期间的青光眼治疗

妊娠对既往存在青光眼的妇女眼压多有下降作用。妊娠妇女青光眼药物治疗要考虑药物的全身性副作用对母体的影响以及对胎儿的可能影响两方面。目前多数抗青光眼药物被美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）定为C类。尽管目前没有高质量研究的证据证明局部降眼压药物对胎儿和新生儿的有害作用,但妊娠的前3个月应尽量不用药。妊娠期间除尽可能减少用药外,滴药时压迫泪小点、闭合眼睑、吸走多余眼药均有利于减少全身吸收。需要手术的患者多数局麻药可用,在人类未显示其致畸性。小梁切除等滤过性手术时应避免应用抗代谢药物。妊娠妇女可更多地考虑激光周边虹膜切开、选择性激光小梁成形术等激光手术。（眼科,2012,21：14-18）     

Interim clinical outcomes in the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study comparing initial treatment randomized to medications or surgery.

PURPOSE: To report interim outcome data, using all available follow-up through 5 years after treatment initiation, in the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS). DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred seven newly diagnosed glaucoma patients. METHODS: In a randomized clinical trial, 607 patients with newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma were initially treated with either medication or trabeculectomy (with or without 5-fluorouracil). After treatment onset and early follow-up, patients were evaluated clinically at 6-month intervals. In addition, quality of life telephone interviews were conducted at similar frequency to the clinical visits. Patients in both arms of CIGTS were treated aggressively in an effort to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) to a level at or below a predetermined target pressure specific for each individual eye. Visual field (VF) scores were analyzed by time-specific comparisons and by repeated measures models. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: VF loss was the primary outcome variable in CIGTS. Secondary outcomes of visual acuity (VA), IOP, and cataract were also studied. RESULTS: On the basis of completed follow-up through 4 years and partially completed through 5 years, VF loss did not differ significantly by initial treatment. Over the entire period of follow-up, surgical patients had a greater risk of substantial VA loss compared with medical patients. However, by 4 years after treatment, the average VA in the two groups was about equal. Over the course of follow-up, IOP in the medicine group has averaged 17 to 18 mmHg, whereas that in the surgery group averaged 14 to 15 mmHg. The rate of cataract requiring removal was greater in the surgically treated group. CONCLUSIONS: Both initial medical or initial surgical therapy result in about the same VF outcome after up to 5 years of follow-up. VA loss was greater in the surgery group, but the differences between groups seem to be converging as follow-up continues. When aggressive treatment aimed at substantial reduction in IOP from baseline is used, loss of VF can be seen to be minimal in general. Because 4 to 5 years of follow-up in a chronic disease is not adequate to draw treatment conclusions, these interim CIGTS outcomes do not support altering current treatment approaches to open-angle glaucoma.     

The Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS): 13. Comparison of treatment outcomes within race: 10-year results

OBJECTIVE: To present for black and white patients with medically uncontrolled glaucoma 10-year results of treatment with 1 of 2 randomly assigned surgical intervention sequences. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred thirty-two black patients (451 eyes) and 249 white patients (325 eyes). Eyes had glaucoma that could not be controlled with medications alone. METHODS: Eyes were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 sequences: argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT)-trabeculectomy-trabeculectomy (ATT) or trabeculectomy-ALT-trabeculectomy (TAT). Second and third interventions were offered after failure of the preceding intervention. Minimum required intraocular pressure (IOP) for intervention failure ranged upward from 18 mmHg, the value depending on whether recent optic disc or visual field (VF) deterioration occurred, and on the magnitude of the field defect. Patients were observed every 6 months, with total potential follow-up ranging from 8 years, 4 months to 13 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The averages over follow-up of (1) the percentage of eyes having moderate loss of VF and (2) the percentage of eyes having moderate loss of visual acuity (VA). RESULTS: Race-treatment interactions in VF and VA loss are significant for the 2 main outcome measures; therefore, results of treatment sequence differences are presented by race. In black patients the average percent of eyes with VF loss was less in the ATT sequence than in the TAT sequence, a difference that is not statistically significant at any visit. In white patients, conversely, after 18 months the average percent of eyes with VF loss was less in the TAT sequence, a difference that increases and is statistically significant in years 8 to 10. In both black and white patients, the average percent of eyes with VA loss was less in the ATT sequence; this difference is statistically significant throughout 10 follow-up years in black patients and is statistically significant only for the first year in white patients. In both black and white patients, average IOP reductions were greater in the TAT sequence, though the TAT-ATT difference was substantially greater in white patients. In both black and white patients, first-intervention failure rates were substantially lower for trabeculectomy than for trabeculoplasty. Ten-year cumulative incidence of unilateral VF impairment comparable to legal blindness was modest in eyes of black (ATT 11.9%, TAT 18.5%) and white (ATT 9.9%, TAT 7.3%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although IOP was lowered in both sequences in black and white patients with medically uncontrolled glaucoma, long-term visual function outcomes were better for the ATT sequence in black patients and better for the TAT sequence in white patients.