INTRAOCULAR PENETRATION OF PERIOCULAR KETOROLAC AND EFFICACY IN EXPERIMENTAL UVEITIS

Purpose. To determine in rabbits whether periocular injection of ketor olac tromethamine effectively delivers the drug to the eye and, if so, whether this is efficacious in the treatment of experimental uveitis. Methods. Ketorolac was administered by anterior subconjunctival injec tion, posterior periocular injection, intramuscular injection, or topi cal eye drops. The aqueous and vitreous were assayed for ketorolac. An terior subconjunctival and topical ketorolac were compared to control as well as topical and anterior subconjunctival steroid treatments in uveitis induced by the intravitreal injection of tumor necrosis factor . Results. Anterior subconjunctival injection led to high, though shor t-lived, levels of drug in the aqueous and vitreous. Posterior periocu lar injection led to much lower levels. Topical dosing led to relative ly low aqueous and undetectable vitreous levels. No ocular levels were detected after intramuscular dosing. All tested antiinflammatory trea tments were similarly effective in controlling uveitis. Conclusions. A nterior subconjunctival injection of ketorolac produced high intraocul ar concentrations of drug and was beneficial in controlling the inflam mation in this animal model of uveitis.