A TRIAL OF DORZOLAMIDE FOR GLAUCOMA

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the effectiveness of do rzolamide changes when the drug is used under routine clinical conditi ons versus the more ideal conditions of a clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 118 eyes of 65 patients were assessed. Nine patie nts (15 eyes) received dorzolamide only, 41 patients (74 eyes) receive d dorzolamide as an ''add-on'' medication, and 15 patients (29 eyes) r eceived dorzolamide as a substitute for an oral carbonic anhydrase inh ibitor. RESULTS: At I month the intraocular pressure (IOP) had decreas ed from 23.5 to 19.9 mm Hg in the patients receiving dorzolamide only, from 18.6 to 16.4 mm Hg in the patients receiving dorzolamide as an a dd-on medication, and from 17.7 to 16.0 mm Hg in the patients receivin g dorzolamide as a substitute for an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor . Similar decreases in IOP were present at 3 and 6 months. Local drug reactions occurred in 3 patients. Five patients stopped treatment beca use of severe symptoms of nausea and prostration. CONCLUSION: Under ro utine clinical conditions, dorzolamide was effective as a sole medicat ion and as an add-on medication. It was at least as effective as oral acetazolamide. Local drug reactions sometimes occurred, as did systemi c reactions.