A DOUBLE-BLIND GROUP COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF OPHTHALMIC SODIUM CROMOGLYCATE, 2-PERCENT 4 TIMES DAILY AND 4-PERCENT TWICE-DAILY, IN THE TREATMENT OF SEASONAL ALLERGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS

In a multicenter, double-blind, single-dummy, group-comparative study, 169 patients received ophthalmic sodium cromoglycate 2% four times da ily, and 170 patients received 4% ophthalmic sodium cromoglycate twice daily, together with placebo eye-drops twice daily, for the treatment of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) to birch pollen. The treatm ent period was 4 weeks during the birch pollen season. Daily pollen co unts were used to identify the peak 14-d period. Clinical examinations were made before the start of treatment, after 1 week of treatment, a nd at the end of the treatment period. Patients kept daily diary recor d cards of eye symptom severity and concomitant therapy. Symptoms were generally mild and, except for chemosis (week 4) and soreness (weeks 2 and 3), which were less in the 4 % group (P < 0.05), no significant treatment differences were seen for symptoms or for antihistamine resc ue therapy. Both treatments were considered to be very or moderately e ffective by more than 90% of patients, and no treatment differences oc curred in either clinicians' or patients' opinions of efficacy. The re sults indicate that the use of 4% sodium cromoglycate eye-drops twice daily is as effective and well tolerated as 2% sodium cromoglycate fou r times daily in the treatment of birch-pollen conjunctivitis.