Effects of three nasal topical steroids in the intraocular pressure compartment

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the use of fluticasone propionate, mometasone, furoate, or beclomethasone dipropionate for the treatment of rhinitis produced, as a side effect, an increase in the intraocular pressure; only one printed article proclaims that the increase of secondary intraocular pressure is due to the use. of local nasal steroids. PATIENTS AND STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a comparative, double-blind, experimental, prospective, longitudinal study in which 360 patients were divided at random into 4 groups; 90 of them were given a placebo (control group) and the other 270 were divided into 3 other groups of 90 patients each and given a different local nasal steroid for each group. MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS. All patients had their intraocular pressure measured by Goldman's tonometry at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after using the placebo or local nasal steroid. RESULTS: Variations were found in the intraocular pressure of patients who used local steroid, with discreet elevations in the beclomethasone dipropionate and mometasone furoate groups; however, variations were always within normal limits. CONCLUSION: Fluticasone propionate, mometasone furoate, and beclomethasone dipropionate cause variations in the intraocular pressure, but the variations are within normal limits.