Effect Of Long-Term Topical Latanoprost Medication On Conjunctival Thickness In Patients With Glaucoma

AIM: To investigate the effect of long-term use of topically administered latanoprost on conjunctival thickness (CT) and conjunctival epithelium thickness (CET) in the patients with glaucoma.METHODS: A series of 106 glaucomatous patients were included. Of the 106 eyes, 55 eyes were treated with latanoprost eye drops once a day (latanoprost group), while 51 eyes were treated with carteolol hydrochloride eye drops (carteolol group). All the included patients completed a 2-year follow-up. CT and CET were measured with optical coherence tomography (OCT) in all patients at presentation and at 2-year visit, respectively. Statistical analysis was then performed to compare the change in CT and CET.RESULTS: At presentation, there was no difference in CET (t=0.400, P=0.689) or CT (t=1.14, P=0.259) between the two groups. No significant difference was found in CET (61.65 +/- 5.35 mu m at baseline, 60.36 +/- 6.36 mu m at 2-year follow-up, respectively; t=1.977, P=0.0531), while there was a significant decrease in CT from 201.45 +/- 14.99 mu m at baseline to 167.81 +/- 14.57 mu m at 2-year visit (t=14.1407, P<0.001) in the latanoprost group. At 2-year follow-up, no statistically difference was found in CET (62.24 +/- 5.27 mu m; t=1.086, P=0.282) or CT (201.23 +/- 12.45 mu m; t=1.44, 1:0.154) compared to it at baseline (CET: 61.23 +/- 5.42 mu m; CT: 198.76 +/- 13.68 mu m, respectively) in the carteolol group.CONCLUSION: A significant decrease in conjunctival thickness is found in glaucoma patients treated with long-term topical latanoprost; its potential effect on the outcome of filtration surgery should be considered.