Comparison of Allergy Prevalence between Brimonidine/Timolol Fixed Combination and 0.15% Brimonidine in Glaucoma Patients.

Park, Eun Jung; Chun, Yeoun Sook

doi:2018.59.5.451

J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > Volume 59(5); 2018 > Article

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2018;59(5):451-458.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2018.59.5.451 Published online May 15, 2018.

Comparison of Allergy Prevalence between Brimonidine/Timolol Fixed Combination and 0.15% Brimonidine in Glaucoma Patients.

Eun Jung Park, Yeoun Sook Chun

Department of Ophthalmology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. yschun100@hanmail.net

녹내장에서 브리모니딘/티몰롤 복합제제와 0.15% 브리모니딘 사용 시 알레르기 발생률의 비교

박은정⋅전연숙

중앙대학교 의과대학 중앙대학교병원 안과학교실

Correspondence: Yeoun Sook Chun,
Email: yschun100@hanmail.net

Received: 7 December 2017 • Revised: 12 January 2018 • Accepted: 18 April 2018

Abstract

PURPOSE
To compare the allergy prevalence and clinical manifestations of 0.2% brimonidine/0.5% timolol fixed combination (BTFC) and 0.15% brimonidine in Korean patients with glaucoma. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 196 glaucoma patients treated with BTFC and 234 glaucoma patients treated with 0.15% brimonidine. We compared sex, age, type of glaucoma, treatment period, allergy history, onset time of ocular allergy and clinical characteristics of allergy in the two groups. RESULTS: Ocular allergy percentages 10.14% in the BTFC group and 22.02% in the 0.15% brimonidine group, and the risk of allergy was approximately 0.4 times lower in patients using BTFC (hazard ratio = 2.5, p = 0.009). The BTFC group developed ocular allergy at a mean of 20.5 months (range: 1.7–51.1 months), and the 0.15% brimonidine group developed ocular allergy at a mean of 7.7 months (range: 0.4–50.8 months). In the BTFC group, 50% of the ocular allergy occurred within 15 months, and within 5 months in the 0.15% brimonidine group. Clinical characteristics of brimonidine allergy involved two types of conjunctival follicles and conjunctival papillae, but there were no significant differences in incidence according to allergy type (p = 0.566). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ocular allergy in the BTFC group was lower than that in the 0.15% brimonidine group in Korean patients with glaucoma. The results of this study are expected to be useful for patient education and compliance improvement using brimonidine.

Key Words: Glaucoma;Korean;Ocular allergy;0.2% brimonidine/0.5% timolol fixed combination;0.15% brimonidine