Comparison of the effectiveness of 4 anti-inflammatory drops in relieving photophobia after pupil dilation

Purpose: To compare the relative effectiveness of diclofenac, flurbiprofen, ketorolac, and prednisolone acetate in relieving photophobia after pupil d ilation for fundus examination. Setting: Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Methods: This prospective, blind, placebo-controlled study comprised 105 pa tients randomly assigned to 1 of 10 treatment groups. Five minutes after in stillation of dilating drops, each patient received drops of different test medications in the right and left eyes. Light sensitivity and pupil measur ement tests were performed over 2 hours after the pharmacological mydriasis . After photostimulation, patients were asked to rate their photosensitivit y on numerical and analog scales and to indicate a filter value required to alleviate light-induced discomfort. Test results were analyzed to detect d ifferences among the pain levels associated with each treatment. Results: There were no significant differences between the placebo and any active I treatment drug at any time during the study. Conclusion: These findings suggest that mediators other than prostaglandins may have a role in photosensitivity or that increased postmydriatic photos ensitivity is a result of higher light levels entering the eye through the dilated pupil.