FEB 07, 2011
Cornea/External Disease
Investigators evaluated the acceptability and efficacy of hydroxypropyl cellulose ophthalmic inserts (LACRISERT;Aton Pharma, Lawrenceville, NJ) in patients suffering from moderate to severe dry syndrome and comorbid conditions such as contact lens wearers, cataracts, glaucoma or a history of either Lasik or cataract surgery.
Patients completed a questionnaire before and after four-weeks of treatment to assess the mean change in the severity of dry eye symptoms, ability to perform activities of daily living and quality of life.
Among the 418 patients who complete the study, there was a significant improvement across all comorbidities in mean ocular surface disease index scores and symptoms of discomfort, burning, dryness, grittiness, stinging, and light sensitivity (P < 0.05). Mean OSDI scores improved significantly for contact lens wearers who had undergone prior cataract surgery and LASIK. Patients diagnosed with cataracts or glaucoma did not show significant changes in any measures in this study. No significant worsening of symptoms was observed in any subset in this study, although light sensitivity consistently showed less improvement than other dry eye symptoms.
The authors point out several limitations to this study, including the fact that hydroxypropyl cellulose ophthalmic inserts often were administered as an adjunct to other therapies, and improvements in patient-reported outcomes may therefore be additive to any benefits (or lack thereof) of concomitant therapy. In turn, lack of response also may be influenced by the use of other agents. Nevertheless, they conclude that hydroxypropyl cellulose ophthalmic inserts may help improve dry eye symptoms and improve quality of life in these challenging patient groups.